4.4. Future Directions
This study contributes to the growing body of literature investigating
early onset signs of bipolar disorder (BD). It aligns with previous
research suggesting that BD has a progressive nature, with
psychopathological symptoms appearing before the first full-blown manic
episode (Duffy et al., 2019; Vieta et al., 2018). Even though this study
bore non-significant results in the comparison of the trauma and the no
trauma subgroups, research must be conducted to investigate the impact
of interpersonal trauma on early developmental signs of BD.
Retrospectively, childhood interpersonal traumatic events have been
shown to lead to earlier development and worse prognosis of BD (T. Li et
al., 2023b; Palmier-Claus et al., 2016). Therefore, more longitudinal
studies are necessary to further explore the progression of BD in
at-risk children and to investigate the effect of interpersonal trauma
on its development.
Sustaining this line of inquiry is crucial because it provides insight
on early developmental sign of BD. Clinicians will need to exercise
caution when diagnosing at-risk children or adolescents with depression
or anxiety. Furthermore, adapted care, such as psychoeducative and
psychosocial interventions, should be administered in such scenarios
(Cotton et al., 2020). This could potentially reduce misdiagnoses of
individuals manifesting BD and lead to improved prognoses.