Consumers with Bipolar disorder presenting to an Australian Child and Youth Mental Health Service  

Brett McDermott ^1,2* Raja Sadhu ³ Mark Mayall ^3,4

• ¹ Tasmanian Health Service (THS), Hobart, Australia
• ² University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
• ³ Queensland Health, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
• ⁴ James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom

The diagnoses reached for a consecutive set of consumers who presented to a public child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) in Australia were reviewed to assess the prevalence of bipolar disorder. Other presentations that had an element of mood elevation, specifically a diagnosis of a manic episode and cyclothymia were also included. Of 2131 consumers, average age 12.6 years, 2.4% of all first episode diagnosis were a manic episode, diagnosis of bipolar disorder or cyclothymia. This represented approximately 20% of all mood disorder diagnosis. This group did not differ from other consumer presentations on gender, but they were approximately two years older at first episode. No consumer who presented when less than 12 years of age had a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder or manic episode. The group were significantly lower on a measure of general psychosocial functioning. The cyclothymia/manic episode/bipolar disorder group was more likely to be admitted to a hospital mental health unit and at some time to be under the mental health act. Over the following five-year period no patient with cyclothymia was diagnosed with a manic episode or bipolar disorder. In summary, bipolar disorder is an uncommon diagnosis in children and adolescents attending CAMHS in an Australian regional city. However, these consumers are likely to have more psychosocial impairment and require more restrictive care.