KEYWORDS: antidepressant-induced mania, family history of bipolar disorder, pediatric depression and anxiety, pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, treatment
| C A S E"John" is a 14-year-old boy who presents with symptoms of depressed mood and anxiety. His mother describes him as a sociable child who participates in several extracurricular activities. However, over the past 2 years, he has become increasingly socially withdrawn. In the past 6 months, other symptoms developed, including difficulties falling asleep, academic decline, and feelings of worthlessness. During this time, John's family reports significant psychosocial stressors: John's brother is diagnosed with schizophrenia, and his father, who has lived with bipolar I disorder for years, is hospitalized for a suicide attempt.Indeed, John's symptoms significantly interfere with his social and academic functioning. With these concerns, he initially presents to his pediatrician seeking treatment for sustained depressive symptoms lasting at least 2 weeks for most of the day, every day.He shares with his pediatrician that he had been experiencing daily challenges trying to fall asleep due to low mood and worries, some anhedonia, decreased energy, difficulty concentrating in school, and psychomotor retardation. He also reports several weeks of hypersomnia, increased appetite, and eating, especially during times of stress, like studying for exams. Though he endorses passive suicidal thoughts in dark moments of hopelessness, he denies any specific plans, means, or intent to harm himself, and does not report a history of any prior suicide attempts or self-injurious behaviors.Importantly, John denies any current or lifetime manic or psychotic symptoms. After being diagnosed with major depressive disorder, it is recommended that he receive psychotherapy to address his mood symptoms. John completes 4 months of family focused therapy (FFT) for youth at risk for bipolar disorder, after which he reported mild improvement in anxiety but no significant improvement of his mood symptoms. His baseline and 4-month depression and mania severity scores are as follows: Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised Raw score went from 59 to 52 and the Young Mania Rating Scale score went from 1 to 0.Given the persistence of his mood symptoms in spite of FFT, John's therapist recommends that he speak to his pediatrician about the possibility of starting an antidepressant. After reviewing risks, benefits, and alternatives, his pediatrician starts John on 5 mg of escitalopram. Within hours, John notices that his mood had improved.However, on the third day of treatment on 5 mg of escitalopram, John's experiences increased anxiety to a level of a full-blown panic attack. While he was sitting in class, he reports suddenly feeling restless, a sense of doom, and palpitations. He worries that these intense symptoms were due to escitalopram so he discontinues the medication the next day with full resolution of his anxiety and agitation. A life chart illustrating his transition from psychotherapy t...