Children and adolescents can have various types of bipolar disorder, and symptoms can occur along a broad spectrum. In children and adolescents, diagnoses along the spectrum include:
- Bipolar I: The most severe form of the disorder, characterised primarily by a manic state or mixed episode state.
- Bipolar II: Symptoms alternate between depressive and hypomanic states.
- Cyclothymia: Symptoms include depression and hypomania, but are less intense.
- Bipolar Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified (NOS): The most common diagnosis for children and adolescents on the bipolar spectrum. Children are often diagnosed with BP-NOS if they are one symptom short of the other diagnoses, the duration of episodes is insufficient, or the episodes are not clearly defined.