---
title: "Psych News Alert: Kids With a Bipolar Parent Face Mental Health Risks"
description: Children who have a parent with bipolar disorder are more likely to display symptoms of affective and behavioral dysfunction than are childr...
image: https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/boy%20with%20head%20down_2447561-Jun-24-2025-10-30-13-3997-PM.jpg
---

 12/12/11 12:00 AM

# Kids With a Bipolar Parent Face Mental Health Risks

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [ Psychiatric News Alert ](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert)

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Children who have a parent with bipolar disorder are more likely to display symptoms of affective and behavioral dysfunction than are children who do not have a parent with the condition, a study headed by Rasim Diler of the University of Pittsburgh and published in the November-December issue of *Bipolar Disorders *has found. 

And another recent study has shown  that these children are at risk for a variety of psychiatric illnesses—anxiety disorders, major depression, and schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, among others. For more details about this study, see the December 2 *Psychiatric News *[here](http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/newsarticle.aspx?articleid=180878)*.*   
The good news, however, is that even though bipolar disorder has a strong heritable component, a substantial number of children of parents with bipolar disorder do not experience the illness themselves.

(Image: Jaimie Duplass/Shuttersthock.com)

[bipolar disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/bipolar-disorder), [children of bipolar parents](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/children-of-bipolar-parents), [risk of bipolar disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/risk-of-bipolar-disorder)

## Related posts

[![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/mother_child_iStock-854450808-Jun-24-2025-09-35-58-0118-PM.jpg?height=200&name=mother_child_iStock-854450808-Jun-24-2025-09-35-58-0118-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2021/04/children-of-parents-with-bipolar.html)

[ADHD](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/adhd), [Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adole](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/journal-of-the-american-academy-of-child-and-adole), [children](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/children), [anxiety](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/anxiety), [bipolar disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/bipolar-disorder), [parents](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/parents)

## [Children of Parents With Bipolar Disorder at Risk of ADHD and Early Onset Bipolar, Study Suggests](https://alert.psychnews.org/2021/04/children-of-parents-with-bipolar.html)

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 

 4/2/21 12:00 AM

[ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2021/04/children-of-parents-with-bipolar.html)

[![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/adult%20with%20bipolar_12081334-Jun-24-2025-06-18-22-6739-PM.jpg?height=200&name=adult%20with%20bipolar_12081334-Jun-24-2025-06-18-22-6739-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/11/risperidone-most-effective-in-youth.html)

## [Risperidone Most Effective in Youth With Bipolar Illness, Study Finds](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/11/risperidone-most-effective-in-youth.html)

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 

 11/9/12 12:00 AM

Of three drugs often used to treat children with bipolar disorder—divalproex, lithium, and...

[ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/11/risperidone-most-effective-in-youth.html)

[![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Birmaher-Jun-24-2025-10-36-28-4489-PM.jpg?height=200&name=Birmaher-Jun-24-2025-10-36-28-4489-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/10/reasons-cited-for-optimism-about.html)

[childhood bipolar disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/childhood-bipolar-disorder), [delaying childhood bipolar disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/delaying-childhood-bipolar-disorder)

## [Reasons Cited for Optimism About Outcomes of Children With Bipolar Disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/10/reasons-cited-for-optimism-about.html)

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 

 10/31/13 12:00 AM

What does the future hold for children with bipolar disorder? Boris Birmaher, M.D., a professor of...

[ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/10/reasons-cited-for-optimism-about.html)

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