The Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation (CABF), a non-profit organization providing education, support and advocacy for families raising children with bipolar disorder and related conditions, commends the DSM-V committee for proposing a more accurate diagnostic category for children who do not meet all the criteria for a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
However, the proposed name, Temper Dysregulation Disorder with Dysphoria (TDD), is the wrong choice. There is a strong negative connotation to the word “temper,” conjuring images of inept mothers who cannot control their bratty kids. Instead of describing a serious brain illness, it implies bad behavior on the part of children and permissiveness on the part of parents.
A “temper” label will reverse our understanding of childhood mental disorders considerably, and will recall the days when childhood behavior was believed to be the result of environment alone. We now understand that psychiatric illnesses are brain disorders, often with complex genetic origins, and children are not exempt. The DSM V can better describe these children by replacing the word temper with mood or affect. The word dysphoria already captures the negative mood aspect, is contrary to euphoria and, by definition, distinguishes TDD from bipolar disorder.
As defined in the DSM V draft, the new diagnostic category will also address claims that bipolar disorder has been over-diagnosed in children by offering a “home” for children who have severe mood regulation problems but who do not exhibit distinct periods of mania and do not respond to traditional forms of treatment for bipolar disorder. It also allows for the possibility that these children will not be burdened by a lifelong illness.
The new category could also increase funding for bipolar research by reducing debate among researchers and grant reviewers about criteria definition and measurement of bipolar disorder in children. Because the bipolar disorder category remains unchanged, the DSM V draft has a de facto effect of creating a more homogenous group of children to study, potentially speeding the journey to find answers for these children.
CABF has also urged the DSM-V committee to place this new diagnosis within the category of mood disorders, rather than a disruptive behavioral disorder.
CABF has 25,000 constituents across the country and was established in 1999 by parents to educate, support and advocate for families raising children with bipolar disorder and related conditions. In honor of its 10th anniversary, CABF’s newly redesigned website, http://www.bpkids.org , offers free public access to the most scientifically credible information and access to knowledgeable parents across the country through our forums, blogs, support groups. Some of the newly created website content includes:
- Flipswitch: a teen and transition years section which offers a podcast, blogs and quizzes and information;
- Translational Science to Families series from many of the most respected early onset bipolar disorder researchers which outlines each researcher’s area of expertise and explains how their work impacts our knowledge of mood disorders in children;
- Girls Only section located on the Flipswitch tab which details the unique issues which affect girls with mood disorders;
- Education Corner which teaches parents how to work effectively with schools, how education laws protect children, and how pediatric bipolar disorder may affect learning;
- “Find A Professional Resource Directory” which allows parents to search for doctors, clinicians, advocates, school, camps, locally or nationally;
For more information, contact Susan Resko, Executive Director CABF at sresko@bpkids.org or 847-492-8510.
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CONTACT: Susan Resko, CABF Executive Director, 847-492-8510
