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Understanding Early Age of Onset: a Review of the Last 5 Years

  • Bipolar Disorders (R Hirschfeld, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

The age at onset of bipolar disorder ranging from childhood to adolescent to adult has significant implications for frequency, severity and duration of mood episodes, comorbid psychopathology, heritability, response to treatment, and opportunity for early intervention. There is increasing evidence that recognition of prodromal symptoms in at-risk populations and mood type at onset are important variables in understanding the course of this illness in youth. Very early childhood onset of symptoms including anxiety/depression, mood lability, and subthreshold manic symptoms, along with family history of a parent with early onset bipolar disorder, appears to predict the highest risk of early onset disorder with the most severe course.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: •Of importance

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Putnam Hall-South Campus, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-8790, USA

    Gabrielle A. Carlson

  2. Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA

    Caroly Pataki

Authors
  1. Gabrielle A. Carlson
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  2. Caroly Pataki
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Correspondence to Gabrielle A. Carlson.

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Gabrielle A. Carlson and Caroly Pataki declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Bipolar Disorders

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Carlson, G.A., Pataki, C. Understanding Early Age of Onset: a Review of the Last 5 Years. Curr Psychiatry Rep 18, 114 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-016-0744-8

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