Premorbid and Postmorbid School Functioning in Bipolar Adolescents: Description and Suggested Academic Interventions

Abstract

Objective: This study was designed to describe and evaluate the manner in which changes in school functioning are associated with bipolar affective disorder (BAD) in adolescence. Method: Pre- and post-illness onset school functioning data were collected from a sample of 44 adolescents with a DSM-III-R diagnosis of BAD. A variety of assessment measures were used, including personal interview, a review of school history and formal academic testing. Results: Our findings reveal an overall profile of generally good to excellent premorbid school functioning in most adolescent onset bipolar patients, which subsequently shows marked deterioration along several dimensions (work effort, academic achievement, peer relationships and extracurricular involvement) following BAD onset. Conclusions: Onset of bipolar illness in adolescence negatively impacts on the teenager's ability to function effectively in the school environment. Specific program modifications are required in order to optimize the bipolar teenager's success at school. These are identified and discussed.