Response 1
Nice post. Interesting to learn that children presenting with bipolar disorder spend more time in the mixed state with symptoms depression and hyperactivity. In contrast to adults who commonly present with periods of either mania or depression with periods of remission which makes it easier to diagnose than children and adolescents (Suppes, 2021). I knew that atypical antipsychotics would be the drug of choice but the treatment seems very similar to adults and with the side effects being metabolic syndrome, they have to be monitored so closely as it can be detrimental to their lives and predispose them to hyperlipidemia and diabetes (Stahl, 2013). Reading about the children and adolescents with bipolar disorder risk of increased suicidal ideation, attempts, and substance use makes me feel really sad and realize that their childhood is going to be more complicated and challenging than it already is. This not only creates a stressful environment for them to grow up in but for their parent and guardians which is why family focused therapy is crucial, as you have mentioned (Miklovich & Chung, 2016). References Miklowitz, D. J., & Chung, B. (2016). Family-focused therapy for bipolar disorder: reflections on 30 years of research. Family Process, 55(3), 483–499. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12237 Stahl, S. M. (2013). Stahl’s essential psychopharmacology: Neuroscientific basis and practical applications (4th ed.). Cambridge University Press. Suppes, T. (2021, February 18). UpToDate. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/bipolardisorder-in- adults-assessment-and-diagnosis ?search=bipolar%20diagnosis% 20in%20 adults&source =search_ result&selectedTitle=1~ 150&usage_type= default&display_rank=1#H 975421
Response 2
Great job on your project! It was very informative and detailed. I am well attuned to adult generalized anxiety. I work with the adult population and have very little experience with pediatric anxiety. I was not aware that in order to be given a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder, that the anxiety had to occur for longer than six months. This presents questions in regard to how acute episodes of anxiety are handled in the pediatric population. I will need to do further research to see how an acute episode of anxiety would be treated. I was not aware that there were specific screening tools for child and adolescent anxiety. This would be beneficial because the screening tool can be designed in a way easy for the patient to understand. This is also beneficial because the symptoms of anxiety differ in children verse adult populations. You stated that children have more difficulty controlling worry. I find this sad because children also have reduced coping skills and are unable to regulate emotions as well as adults. Pediatric anxiety is on the rise and is becoming a more common complaint brought up to practitioners. It often presents with many symptoms that differ and some symptoms may be mistaken for other illnesses (Crowe, K., & Spiro-Levitt, C., 2021). Pharmacological treatment is often not the only treatment available for pediatric patients. There are many types of psychotherapy that are also beneficial for pediatric populations. If anxiety is caused by particular situations or places, exposure therapy has been deemed effective (Gervasio, M., & Herren, J., 2020). REFERENCES: Crowe, K., & Spiro-Levitt, C. (2021). Sleep-Related Problems and Pediatric Anxiety Disorders. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 30(1), 209–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2020.09.004 Gervasio, M., & Herren, J. (2020). Managing emergent life events in exposure therapy for pediatric anxiety. Brown University Child & Adolescent Behavior Letter, 36(9), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1002/cbl.30485 Peris, T. S., & Rozenman, M. (2019). Assessment of pediatric anxiety. In S. N. Compton, M. A. Villabø, & H. Kristensen (Eds.), Pediatric anxiety disorders. (pp. 301–316). Elsevier Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-813004-9.00014-1
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