A brief history of childhood-onset bipolar disorder through 1980

Abstract

The concept of bipolar disorder in children has its roots in ancient medicine. This article reviews the history of bipolar disorder, beginning from its early history in ancient Greece through 1980, when diagnostic criteria for children were being considered. The acceptance of bipolar disorder in children was highly controversial after the first criteria were developed by Anthony and Scott in 1960. The concept was rejuvenated when Robert DeLong investigated the use of lithium in children with symptoms of mania. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, diagnostic criteria began to define the major criteria for bipolar disorder in children.