Pediatric Bipolar Disorder: The Promise of Psychopharmacotherapy

Pediatric bipolar disorder is a serious and chronic illness that can have debilitating effects on the lives of children and adolescents suffering from this disorder. Pharmacological therapy is a mainstay in the management of pediatric bipolar disorder. Until not too long ago, there was very little research of methodological rigor regarding the medication treatment of these vulnerable youngsters. However, over the past few years, clinical trials in the pharmacotherapy of pediatric bipolar disorder have been conducted and new data are emerging. These studies include the use of lithium, anticonvulsants/mood stabilizers, and atypical antipsychotics for the acute and long-term treatment of pediatric bipolar disorder. Despite these new advances, further placebo-controlled trials investigating the efficacy and safety (both acute and long-term) of pharmacologic interventions are still needed in this population.