Mood Disorders

When we talk about mood disorders we are generally talking about the variations of clinical depression as well as  Bipolar Disorder I and II.  There are a lot of misconceptions about mood disorders including the belief that one can simply will them away or that children are somehow immune from depression or Bipolar Disorder.  The truth is that many mental health experts believe that mood disorders have a strong biological component and can be considered a type of brain disease.  And despite a cultural belief that children are always happy and carefree, there are many children who suffer from debilitating depression or even mania.  And when we talk about children having special needs the incidence of co-morbid mood disorders goes up exponentially.  Let's take a look at some of the statistics.

• ADHD and Depression:  In a 2008 issue of Psychiatric Times it was reported that the prevalence among patients with ADHD range from 13% to 27%.  Among children and teens with ADHD the incidence of co-morbid depression can be up to 50% according to some studies. 
  
  
• Autism Spectrum Disorders and Depression:  A study published in the 2006 issue of the Journal of Autism Developmental Disorders found that nearly a quarter of the children with autism in their study met the lifetime diagnostic criteria for major depression.  The study authors found this statistic especially significant as the mean age for their test subjects was nine years.
  
  
• Asperger's Syndrome and Depression:  The National Autistic Society (UK) cites a study on the prevalence of  psychiatric disorders including depression among individuals with Asperger's Syndrome:  "Ghaziuddin et al (1998) found that 65 per cent of their sample of patients with Asperger syndrome presented with symptoms of psychiatric disorder."  In addition, individuals with Asperger's Syndrome are reported to much more susceptible to thoughts of suicide.  Blog author Mark Hutten, a counseling psychologist estimates that there is a "50 % demonstration of what we call “suicidal ideation” (i.e., talking about killing yourself) with Aspergers sufferers."
  
  
• Epilepsy and Depression:  According to The Epilepsy Therapy Project depression occurs in 25% to 55% of patients.  They also estimate that the suicide rate of persons with epilepsy is five times greater than the general population.
  
  
• Learning Disabilities and Depression:   In a 2010 Psychology today article it was estimated that as many as 50% of adults with a learning disability also suffer from clinical depression.  Adults are not the only ones who suffer from both learning disabilities and depression.  The Learning Disabilities Association of America suggests that children with learning disabilities are much more prone to developing depression than other children.
  
  
• Bipolar Disorder as a Co-Morbid Condition: Bipolar disorder can co-exist with sensory processing difficulties,  anxiety disorders, ADHD, epilepsy, and more. 
  
  
• Mood Disorders among Caregivers:  The prevalence of a mood disorder among the parents or caregivers of a child, teen, or adult child having special needs is much higher than the general population.  In fact, parents having a child or children with an autism spectrum disorder (includes Asperger's Syndrome) may be hit the hardest.  If you are a parent of a child with autism the research shows that you are twice as likely to have a serious mental disorder than parents with neurotypical kids.
  
  The point of sharing these statistics is not to alarm but to educate.  If you have a child with special needs, you and your child may be more at risk for developing a mood disorder.  It is wise to be aware of the symptoms of depression or even bipolar disorder so that you can receive treatment early on should you or your child begin to develop any early warning signs.  The longer a mood disorder goes untreated the more entrenched it becomes and more difficult to treat.  Untreated mood disorders also leave the individual more vulnerable to suicidal thoughts or even actions.  Some people regard depression as "the common cold" of mental health disorders.  But unlike a simple cold, depression can kill.  It is not to be taken lightly.
  
  The following links will provide information taken from the DSM-IV regarding the symptoms of the more common types of mood disorders:
  
• Major Depressive Disorder
• Bipolar I
• Bipolar II
  
  We also have information about the prevention of suicide.  Please refer to our Suicide Prevention page  for more guidance.
  
  In addition here are some resources to help you better understand the diagnosis and treatment of mood disorders in children and adults:
  
  
• National Institute of Mental Health
  
  
• The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
  
  
• Anerican Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
  
  
• Psych Central:  Bipolar Resources
  
  
• The Bipolar Child
  
  
• Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation