Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and bipolar mood disorder in children and adolescents

Abstract

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent and widely studied disorders of childhood. On searching the literature, thousands of articles are found on all aspects of this disorder, including its diagnosis, co-morbidities, longitudinal course and management. Bipolar mood disorder (BMD) has traditionally been seen as an adult disorder and has only been described in children since the last decade of the 20th century. In the past 10 years, the number of children being diagnosed with BMD has more than doubled, with more than 100 000 children in the USA receiving treatment for BMD in 2001 in spite of the uncertainties that still surround its diagnosis in children.