Newswise — HOUSTON – (Dec. 9, 2014) – To assist children and families struggling with pediatric bipolar disorder, the Pediatric Bipolar Inpatient Unit opened today at The University of Texas Harris County Psychiatric Center.
The unit is only the second of its kind in the country, said Jair Soares, M.D., Ph.D., executive director of the UT HCPC psychiatric center and professor and Pat R. Rutherford Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) Medical School.
Pediatric bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks such as going to school and hanging out with friends, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Moods can swing from mania to depression.
“What makes the inpatient unit different is that we do a complete evaluation of the family and child including psychological testing to rule out comorbid disorders,” said Iram Kazimi, M.D., director of the new unit and assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the UTHealth Medical School. “Our biggest concern is getting an accurate diagnosis. Children are sometimes misdiagnosed and the risk is that they can be put on medications that could complicate the course of their illness.”
Treatment at the new unit is evidence-based and includes various psychotherapies in addition to pharmacological treatment. The team of health care providers includes social workers and nurses. The patients are seen by the psychiatrist daily.
“It’s a more intense treatment,” Kazimi said. “The length of stay is generally between five and seven days, depending on what the patient needs.”
For more information about the Pediatric Bipolar Inpatient Unit, call 713 542-5737.
RSS