2023-05-25 15:00:00
Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental illness characterized by extreme mood swings, ranging from mania to depression with suicidal thoughts. The diagnosis of this pathology, which usually develops between the ages of 12 and 25, can take up to 6 years according to estimates. This detail is particularly alarming… especially since a study by the Karolinska Institute (Sweden), published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, reveals that early treatment reduces the risk of suicide in adolescents.
Bipolar disorder: diagnosis reduces risk of suicide
The researchers examined the medical records of young people aged 15 to 19 living in one of Sweden’s 21 regions over a 13-year period. The results, which included 585 confirmed suicides in this age group, showed large regional differences in the percentage of young people diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
The team found that boys who had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder had nearly 5% lower suicide rates in areas with the highest diagnoses compared to those with the fewest. diagnoses.
“This suggests that adolescent suicide in Sweden might be reduced through improvements in the diagnosis of bipolarity and its treatment.“, estimates the author of the study Adrian E. Desai Boström, researcher at the Karolinska Institute.
Be careful not to miss the signs of bipolar disorder
The researchers also warn once morest misdiagnoses. They believe that misguided treatment can also lead to a higher suicide rate.
“For example, some young people might be transferred from psychiatric services to social services under the provisions of the laws relating to the care of young people and people with disabilities”recalls Peter Andersson, author of the study, in a communiqué of his establishment. “We also know that bipolar patients are sometimes misdiagnosed as having ‘normal’ depression.”
To reduce the risks, parents, teachers, and mental health professionals should be aware of the signs and symptoms of bipolarity in adolescents and encourage young people to talk openly regarding their difficulties.
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