Antipsychotic Drugs Can Harm Kids with Bipolar Disorder

Antipsychotic Drugs Can Harm Kids with Bipolar Disorder

The number of American children diagnosed with bipolar disorder increased 40-fold over the past decade. But now many psychiatrists are backing away from the diagnosis.

Many are worried that thousands of children may have been mistakenly diagnosed with the disorder. Overzealous doctors, quirks in the health insurance system and aggressive marketing by drug companies all contributed to the explosion of bipolar diagnoses.

According to the Star Tribune:

"The profession's about-face could help the next generation of troubled children, but it also raises questions about the harm done to children who shouldn't have received either the diagnosis or the potent drugs used to treat it."