Bipolar disorder incidence between children and adolescents: A brief communication

Background: Bipolar affective disorder is one of most injurious psychiatric diseases, not, rarely leading patient for suicide, and its prevalence keeps increasing worldwide, notably on low and middle-income countries. For children living in northeast Brazil, extreme social conditions constitute, an environment of special vulnerability. Objective: Here we show that bipolar disorder incidence, between children and adolescents in this Brazilian region increased 34.2% from 2005 to 2014 and, in, the same area and age group, deaths provoked by self caused injuries also became progressively, greater. Results: According to DATASUS, the Brazilian national databank for public health, information, in the last five years, we observed an increase of Bipolar Disorder incidence rates under, 19 year old of about 342% in the northeast region of Brazil, while the increase for Brazilian general, population was 12.4%. If considered only patients under 10, this number is even greater, of 472%. Content of Table 2 shows this disproportion, while comparing the advance of bipolar disorder, morbidity indices nationwide and worldwide. Conclusion: Children living in Brazil's northeast, region are in a condition of extreme social disadvantage, what can be determinant for the recent and, sequential increase of bipolar disorder prevalence and the mortality in this age-group due to suicide, one of possible reflections of untreated mood disorders. For protecting these children is important to, identify the factors which prevent these illnesses and promote resilience for these young people. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved