Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Bipolar Disorder in Children and their Coexisting Comorbidity: A Challenge for Family Counselors

Those affected by mental illness are diagnosed and treated differently depending on the person’s particular age and on the particular illness. Adults that have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyper-activity disorder (ADHD)(considered a childhood disorder), are often treated using childhood symptomatology and criteria. Conversely, children diagnosed with bipolar disorder (considered an adult disorder) may experience misdiagnosis and ineffective treatment based on adult criteria. As researchers have found, neither illness is age specific and both children and adults can be affected by either disease. Also found in research is a coexisting comorbidity. Due to the expansiveness of the literature regarding both topics, children are the chosen population of study for this article. The purpose of this study is to examine both ADHD and bipolar disorder particularly in children and their coexisting comorbidity.