The diagnosis, treatment, and very existence of pediatric bipolar disorder is one of the most contentious debates in our field.

The studies have been done and the consensus is in. Juvenile bipolar disorder (JBD) has probably been overdiagnosed recently, and the DSM-5 will describe a narrower phenotype to qualify for the diagnosis. At this point, it is worth thinking about how we got here, and what it means for clinicians as a cautionary tale for the future.

Although practicing in Australia, I have followed the PBD phenomenon in the USA for several years. PBD had become the most common diagnosis in pre-pubertal children in US psychiatric inpatient units by 2004.

What bipolar patients, as well as their doctors, may not know is the amount of current research centered on light-dark therapy and the potential implications of this research on treating bipolar.

Are children with severe mood dysregulation (SMD) at a greater risk for developing bipolar disorder? Dr. Leibenluft explains her extensive research on this subject.

What are the differences in the brains of children with bipolar disorder and how can we use this information in the treatment of pediatric bipolar disorder? Dr. Pavuluri takes us through her pediatric brain research findings.

After reading these articles, you should be able to…

Popular among individuals seeking to avoid social and legal consequences of drug use, a bewildering array of synthetic intoxicants and formerly obscure ethnobotanicals have surged to prominence in the past decade.

Treating substance abuse is difficult whether the patient is young or old. Although one might hope that the shorter period of abuse seen in teens would make the disorder less entrenched, the data shows otherwise: addiction is a stubborn disorder with a long term, relapsing, and remitting course.

What are the latest trends in adolescent substance abuse and how do we find out if a kid has a problem? Yifrah Kaminer keeps us up to date on the most commonly used drugs, hot to screen for them and best treatment practices.