When Is It Best To Send People To Psychiatrists And Other Mental Health Specialists To Diagnose Bipolar Disorder?

Dr. Solhkhah answers the question: 'Who Should Diagnose Bipolar Disorder?'

ByABC News
February 28, 2008, 12:23 PM

— -- Question: When is it best to send people to psychiatrists and other mental health specialists to diagnose bipolar disorder?

Answer: It's best to send children or family members for evaluation by a mental health professional or specifically, a psychiatrist, whenever you have concerns.

So, this is one of those situations where, certainly, you should be in consultation with your pediatrician or the school psychologist at the very least.

But perhaps in situations where you're becoming concerned, where there's an impact on the person's life -- so they're not able to function in school; they're not able to function at work -- those would usually be the warning signs where you start to say, hey, this is something serious and needs further evaluation by a medical professional.

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