By Elinore F. McCance-Katz, M.D., Ph.D., FAAAP, Chief Medical Officer, and Paolo del Vecchio, M.S.W., Director, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Bipolar disorder, sometimes called “manic-depressive illness,” is a serious mental illness that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels. In any given year, it impacts approximately 2.6 percent of the American public.
Young people are often told we're too immature to understand pain. But I refused to be silenced. Instead, I cried louder. My turning point came when I was 18 years old and my friend Dina, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, committed suicide.
By Tiffany Farchione M.D., Division of Psychiatry Products, Food and Drug Administration
FDA-approved labeling helps guide doctors' treatment choices. However, when a medication has not been studied in children, there is no information in the FDA-approved label to guide prescribing for this age group. This can lead to what is known as “off-label” use of a prescription drug.
By Jackie Oberst Ph.D., and Matthew Rudorfer M.D., National Institute of Mental Health
Winter blues is a general term, not a formal medical diagnosis. Typically it comes about from some specific event such as a stressful holiday period or reminders of absent loved ones. This type of lowered mood usually clears up on its own without treatment.
