title: Adverse life events and pediatric bipolar disorder in a community mental health setting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the frequency and effects of exposure to adverse events in pediatric bipolar disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  Charts of youths with bipolar disorder were retrospectively reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-five of 66 (53%) had experienced maltreatment. Most (90.9%) had divorced or separated parents and 31.8% were adopted or in foster care. Exposure to adverse events was associated with delay of diagnosis (p = .010), psychiatric hospitalization (p = .035), residential treatment (p = .003) and a decreased response to treatment (p = .006).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exposure to adverse events may be common among pediatric bipolar patients and have a negative impact on prognosis.
authors.affiliation: University of Utah, 50 North Medical Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132, USA. wmarchand@aol.com
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Marchand
authors.forename: Laurel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wirth
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Simon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D003155:Community Mental Health Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005581:Foster Home Care; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D019962:Reactive Attachment Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D012114:Residential Treatment; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy