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Having Parents With Bipolar Disorder Associated With Increased Risk of Psychiatric Disorders CHICAGO -- March 2, 2009 -- Children and teens of parents with bipolar disorder appear to have an increased risk of early-onset bipolar disorder, mood disorders, and anxiety disorders, according to a study published in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry. Boris Birmaher, MD, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and colleagues compared 388 offspring (aged 6-18 years) of 233 parents with bipolar disorder with 251 offspring of 143 demographically matched control parents. Parents were assessed for psychiatric disorders, family psychiatric history, family environment and other variables, and were also interviewed about their children. Children were assessed directly for bipolar disorder and other psychiatric disorders by researchers who did not know their parents' diagnoses. Children of parents with bipolar disorder had an increased risk of having a bipolar spectrum disorder and having any mood or anxiety disorder, compared with the offspring of control patients (10.6% vs 0.8%). Children in families where both parents had bipolar disorders also were more likely than those in families containing 1 parent with bipolar disorder to develop the condition (28.6% vs 9.9%); however, their risk for other psychiatric disorders was the same as offspring of 1 parent with bipolar disorder. "Consistent with the literature, most parents with bipolar disorder recollected that their illness started before age 20 years and about 20% had illness that started before age 13 years," the authors wrote. "In contrast, most of their children developed their first bipolar disorder episode before age 12 years, suggesting the possibility that parents were more perceptive of their children's symptoms early in life or perhaps that bipolar disorder has more penetrance and manifests earlier in new generations." The findings have important clinical implications, they noted. "Clinicians who treat adults with bipolar disorder should question those who are parents about their children's psychopathology to offer prompt identification and early interventions for any psychiatric problems that may be affecting the children's functioning, particularly early-onset bipolar disorder," the authors continued. "Further studies are needed to help determine the clinical, biological, and genetic risk factors that may be modified to prevent the development of psychiatric disorders in the offspring of those with bipolar disorder." SOURCE: Archives of General Psychiatry E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version