Office of the Vice Provost for Research sponsors Bipolar Disorder in Youths Colloquium

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Contact: Tonya B. Lewis, Assistant Director of Media Communications, (254) 710-4656
WACO, Texas (Sept. 19, 2012) - Bipolar disorder has been a difficult and controversial condition to diagnose, particularly in youth. The disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood and energy.
Eric Youngstrom, Ph.D., professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, will join the Department of Educational Psychology, the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, and the Office of the Vice Provost for Research, to speak about the effects of bipolar disorders on children. The event will be held in Miller Chapel in the Tidwell Bible Building, 600 Speight Ave., at 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 21.
Youngstrom will expound on various topics such as:
- Whether bipolar appears differently in children versus adults
- How often bipolar occurs in different settings
- What issues make accurate diagnosis especially challenging
- How to use specialized self-report and collateral-report measures to diagnose more accurately
- How strategies from evidence-based medicine and cognitive psychology can improve decisions without increasing the risk of over diagnosing bipolar disorder.
"Dr. Youngstrom is developing an evidence-based methodology for assessment and intervention with youth with bipolar disorder that offers great promise for both practice and research," said Marley Watkins, Ph.D., professor and chairman of the department of educational psychology.
A licensed psychologist, Youngstrom specializes in the relationship of emotions and psychopathology, and the clinical assessment of children and family. He has published more than 160 peer-reviewed publications in his area of expertise.
For more information, contact Alex Beaujean at 254-710-1548 or by email at Alex_Beaujean@Baylor.edu.
by Rebecca Malzahn , student newswriter. (254) 710-6805
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