Juvenile bipolar disorder and suicidality: a review of the last 10 years of literature.

Although children and adolescents with bipolar disorder (BD) are at elevated risk for suicide, little research to date has been conducted on suicidality in this population. The purpose of this descriptive review of the past 10 years of scientific literature on suicidality in youths with BD was to identify the risk and protective factors associated with this phenomenon, and to discuss the implications for research and clinical practice. One protective factor was found in this descriptive literature review: the positive effects of dialectical behavior therapy. This article allows a better appreciation of the risk and protective factors associated with suicidality among youth with BD. Greater awareness of risk factors is the first step in suicide prevention.