Children of bipolar parents 7½ times more likely to develop social anxiety: Hong Kong study
- Children with at least one bipolar parent are 7½ times more likely to develop social anxiety, an early sign of the condition, researchers say
A Hong Kong study that involved local and mainland Chinese subjects has gauged the probability of children with a bipolar parent developing certain symptoms of the condition early in life, with social anxiety and sleep disturbance among the common signs.
Researchers in the study led by the Chinese University of Hong Kong on Thursday called for intervention to help those most at risk, with the findings showing children with at least one bipolar parent had a two to 7½ times higher chance of developing initial symptoms compared with peers whose parents did not have the illness.
The early signs included behavioural symptoms, sleep-wake cycle disorders and social anxiety.
“This is a detailed study in the Asian region on whether children at high risk of bipolar disorder have more mood, anxiety and biological clock problems,” said research leader Professor Wing Yun-kwok, chairman of the university’s department of psychiatry.
The Hong Kong team conducted the study in collaboration with 10 hospitals in the city, Guangzhou and Shenzhen between 2016 and last year.
Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that causes unusual shifts in a person’s mood, energy, activity levels and concentration, which can make it difficult to carry out daily tasks.
