... Childhood-onset BPD linked with poor adult outcome.(Keep your eye on ...)(bipolar disorder)(Brief article)

The authors of a recent study hope their findings will "help foster efforts to ensure earlier and more effective treatment of bipolar illness in children and adolescents." In prospective analyses, Robert M. Post, M.D., and colleagues found that the age at onset of bipolar illness, and the delay in time to first treatment are important prognostic factors for adult outcomes. The study included 529 adult patients (mean age 42 years) with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. While receiving naturalistic treatment, the subjects were rated on a daily basis for up to 4 years with the National Institute of Mental Health-Life Chart Method. Half of the subjects had onset of bipolar illness in …