Cyclothymia in Adolescents / Teens

Key things to know What the evidence shows
How common is it? Not established diagnostic Cyclothymic Disorder
Is it more common among adolescents / teens? Typical period for emergence/recognition
Are adolescents / teens at higher risk? Strong age-of-onset relevance
How much higher is the risk? NE
How often can it be missed? Very High
Does it show up differently among adolescents / teens? Strong Yes
How might it look different? Rapid-seeming changes in energy, confidence, sleep, sociability and low mood may be dismissed as adolescence; pattern must be chronic and not meet full hypomania/major depression criteria
What commonly occurs alongside it? ADHD; anxiety; substance use; depression
What can it be confused with? Bipolar II; ADHD; BPD traits; substance-related mood changes; normative adolescent variability
Common screening tool TEMPS-A / adolescent bipolar-spectrum clinical assessment
Separate screening tool for adolescents / teens None established
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