Early-onset bipolar disorder, ADHD, or emotional dysregulation?

Abstract

This review gives an overview of the background to the controversy along with orientations for clinical practice. For diagnosing early-onset BD, special emphasis should be laid on the occurrence of clearly demarcated affective episodes, accompanied by changes in behavior and cognition. The mixed phenotype of ADHD and severe affective dysregulation is not a correlate of BD but deserves more attention regarding the development of psychotherapeutic and pharmacotherapeutic procedures. Differential diagnostic considerations are made on the disparities and the overlap of BD with schizophrenia, depression, ADHD, borderline personality disorder, and substance misuse.