James Donaldson on Mental Health - Early Signs of Bipolar Disorder in Teens

Here’s the good news: There are effective treatments that can help during the prodrome — even before a child, usually a teenager, has been officially diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Psychoeducation is often the first step.

“That means helping the child and their family understand what’s happening,” Dr.

“We talk about symptoms, stress, sleep, and how to spot warning signs.” From there, many families benefit from therapy, especially family-based approaches.

Some of the best evidence-supported options include: Family-Focused Therapy (FFT): Helps families communicate better, reduce conflict, and build routines Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT): Focuses on building stable daily rhythms (like sleep, meals, and activities) to regulate mood Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Teaches emotion-regulation skills, which can be really helpful for teens dealing with intense mood swings “We’re not necessarily trying to stop bipolar disorder from developing,” says Dr.

“But we are trying to reduce the impact and help the child build skills early.” She also highlights the importance of tailoring therapy to the individual.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all approach.

We want to match the intervention to the child’s needs — and that takes ongoing monitoring.” What about medication?

Medication isn’t always the go-to during the prodromal phase — and that surprises a lot of parents.

Often, families expect that a prescription will be the first line of defense.