Increase in bipolar disorder diagnosis in young children?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100115/hl_nm/us_usa_child_trial_research

From the article:

"Bipolar disorder, characterized by severe mood swings, was once thought to emerge only during adolescence or later. But Dr. Joseph Biederman, a child psychiatrist at Harvard University, transformed views on the subject by arguing that children could have the disorder at extremely young ages.

He is credited with spearheading a more than 40-fold increase in the number of children diagnosed with bipolar disorder over the past decade.

Biederman was accused in 2008 by Republican U.S. Senator Charles Grassley of failing to fully disclose payments by drug companies, including some that produced medication for bipolar disorder. Biederman declined to be interviewed about the latest study."

Politics Northwest | Mary Jane goes to Olympia | Seattle Times Newspaper

Fresh on the heels of news about the New Jersey legislature's approval of marijuana used for medicinal purposes, and a proposal in California to decriminalize use of marijuana by adults, here is a story about bills being discussed in Washington.

I am posting these links here because I believe the medical benefits of marijuana for individuals with disorders such as TS ought to be explored, and I would like to see an end to the stigma surrounding the use of "alternative" treatments.

New study notes rise in mental health issues in young people

The study does not seem to answer any of the questions it raises. Is the increase in mental health issues related to a focus on external factors such as wealth and appearance, or is it an artifact due to increased awareness of mental health issues and an increased tendency to report problems and use available services?

Muse looks at autism

This month's issue of Muse magazine features articles on autism, including essays by Temple Grandin and Daniel Tammet (referenced in an earlier post by The Fool). Check it out, share it with your children.

Is natural selection contributing to the rise in autism rates?

http://www.livescience.com/health/evolution-causes-sickness-100111.html