Pharmacological Intervention
Pharmacological drugs are the central intervention for treating bipolar illness in kids and adolescents, especially when the disease is at an advanced stage. Psychiatrists mainly recommend medications as the primary form of treatment to control symptoms. Anticonvulsants are used as mood stabilizer. They include Divalproex (Depakote) and lamotrigine (Lamictal). Lithium has long been used as an off-label to address symptoms of mania (Malhi, Adams, & Berk, 2010) . Its long history in treating bipolar disorder in adults highly influenced the decision to approve it for children and adolescents. Lithium is mainly used as a mood stabilizer in bipolar depression.
Non- pharmacological intervention
Psycho-educational treatment is one of the common psychosocial interventions used to treat bipolar diseases. Psycho-educational interventions are designed to increase understanding of bipolar disorder and its treatment, manage its symptoms and associated conditions, improve communication and problem-solving ability, and increase the family's sense of support in handling bipolar disorder (Washburn, West, & Heil, 2019) . Additionally, the treatment enhances parents become more engaged with their treatment. The children are taught how to identify calming and enjoyable activities to handle negative emotional states (Washburn, West, & Heil, 2019) . Moreover, children and adolescents are taught how to manage their emotions, improve verbal and nonverbal communication skills, and control impulses. The treatment is highly structured, with particular skills and content to be practiced (Washburn, West, & Heil, 2019) .
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Risk Assessment
Bipolar illnesses may have significant risk such as the risk of suicidal behavior and homicide (Bassett, 2010) . As a clinician, I would first identify and simplify the nature of the existing form of the illness. I would also evaluate the patient whether they have psychotic signs. If any, I establish its level of risk to the patient. I would also ask the patient concerning the homicidal and suicidal thoughts, plans, and beliefs. Additionally, I would assess their decision-making ability. Moreover, I would gather information from other sources such as family members as it would be valuable in establishing risks (Bassett, 2010) .
Risks and Benefits of the FDA-Approved Medicine
There have been increasing concerns concerning the failure of the FDA to protect Americans who are on prescription drugs from adverse reactions such as death. Indeed, every drug has its risks. Therefore, for any medication to be approved by FDA, it has to demonstrate its clinical advantages, justifying the risks. However, studies show that approximately 90% of the drugs approved by the FDA provide little or no information concerning their risks of harm over existing drugs. The market is also flooded with minor variations on existing drugs. These drugs are characterized as technically innovative and clinically inconsequential. This shows that the FDA approval model is compromised. The core products of pharmaceutical research are scores of clinically minor drugs which end up being patented for extreme prices with few clinical advantages. Additionally, FDA's approval is majorly based on evidence provided by the product manufacturers. Its benefits should outweigh the risk for a particular use. Therefore, FDA approval does not guarantee the safety of the product.
Despite the safety guarantee, we can give some credit to FDA drugs. This is because new drugs have to go through various clinical trials before their use by consumers. Approval for new drugs has to go through multiple phases, including preclinical, clinical, and recent drug application reviews. To some extent, this is an assurance that the product is safe for consumption.
Risks and Benefits of off-Label Drugs
Off-label drugs are not necessarily bad. They can be beneficial in case the patient has exhausted all approved options, especially in rare disorders. For example, the American Cancer Society recognized that cancer treatment involves particular chemotherapy off-label drugs. This is because approved drugs work well for a certain type of disease, while off-label drugs may target numerous types of tumors. For example, Lithium is an off-label drug used for mood-stabilizing in bipolar patients. However, it is also approved by FDA and widely recognized by physiatrists as a standard of care for bipolar depressed patients (Malhi, Adams, & Berk, 2010) . However, the use of off-label drugs exposes consumers to risky and ineffective treatments. For example, Fen-Phen is one of the off-label drugs with poor results.
References
Bassett, D. L. (2010). Risk assessment and management in bipolar disorders. Medical Journal of Australia , 21-23.
Malhi, G. S., Adams, D., & Berk, M. (2010). The pharmacological treatment of bipolar disorder in primary care. Medical Journal of Australia , 24-30.
Washburn, J. J., West, A. E., & Heil, J. A. (2019). Treatment of pediatric bipolar disorder: a review. Minerva psychiatric , 21.
