Psychopathology in the adolescent offspring of bipolar parents

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and 14-months incidence of psychopathology in adolescent offspring of a bipolar parent. Method: Parent, teacher and self-report rating scales and Kiddie-SADS were used to assess 132 13–23-year-old offspring of bipolar parents. Results: Compared to the general population, there were few differences between rating scale scores for bipolar offspring and problem scores for normative adolescents. Of the sample 49% had a lifetime psychiatric disorder, most commonly (33%) a mood disorder. Limitations: There was no suitable control group and there are no comparison data for psychiatric diagnoses (DSM-IV), based on semi-structured interviews in the adolescent age group in the Netherlands. Conclusions: The overall level of psychopathology of bipolar offspring was not particularly elevated, but when there were more problems, they tended to be mood disorders.