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Date/Time
Date(s) - Friday, May 5, 2017
4:00 pm UTC
Location
Crystal Gateway Marriott
Categories
Randi Silverman has been invited to speak on a panel with Dr. Boris Birmaher and Dr. Anna Van Meter at the 19th Annual Conference of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders to be held at the Crystal City Gateway Marriott in the Washington DC Metro area from 4-7 May 2017.
PEDIATRIC BIPOLAR DISORDER: LEARNING FROM OUR PAST, CREATING A ROADMAP FOR THE FUTURE
| HINDSIGHT IS 20/20… SO WHAT WOULD BE DIFFERENT BASED ON WHAT THE FIELD KNOWS NOW? |
| Aims: To raise awareness of the challenges families confront in finding accurate information, accessing, building a sense of context and trust, and engaging with effective treatment. Methods: Sharing personal story as a family with lived experience, as well as later leadership of an advocacy and awareness nonprofit (The Youth Mental Health Project) and parent support group. A feature length movie based on our story is available for free download from Amazon Prime, “No Letting Go.” Results: The years when my son first started experiencing major challenges coincided with the decade that pediatric bipolar disorder went from a controversial concept to a major focus of research. At the same time, bipolar disorder reached the mainstream media and ignited controversy that continues to confuse families seeking accurate information and help. Based on discussions with families in an advocacy context, many of the challenges remain, despite the proliferation of scientific papers. Families struggling to understand their child’s behavior are still hearing that the disorder does not exist or that children are over diagnosed and over medicated, adding to the confusion and feeling of isolation. Furthermore, it can be difficult to find providers experienced with the management of the disorder. Conclusions: Much remains to do in terms of raising awareness about the early presentation of bipolar disorder, as well as growing the network of providers and support to help promote better outcomes for youths and their families. |