Childhood onset bipolar disorder is highly prevalent in the US, but under-recognized and under-treated. There is a long delay to first treatment and early onset and treatment delay are both independent risk factors for a poor outcome in adulthood. If a child of a parent with a mood disorder is beginning to experience behavioral problems, family focus therapy (FFT) or its equivalent is highly recommended.

At the 2019 meeting of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders, researcher Kathleen R. Merikangas reviewed large scale community studies of people with bipolar disorder in multiple countries. She reported that more...