Is it Bipolar Disorder, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or Both? N563

Course Summary

Clinicians and therapists must understand how to differentiate between bipolar disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), given their often-overlapping symptoms. An individual may also have both conditions. Bipolar disorder and ADHD have unique diagnostic criteria, symptom presentation, and clinical features that require thorough assessment strategies, including history taking, collateral information, and the use of validated screening tools. There are evidence-based pharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions tailored to each disorder, as well as strategies for managing comorbidity.

Course Format

Homestudy

Course Syllabus

• Introduction
  • Bipolar Disorder and ADHD
  • Differential Diagnosis Challenges: Symptom Overlap
  • Common Comorbidities and Comprehensive Assessment Strategies
  • Evidence-Based Treatment Approaches
  • Case Study: Comorbid ADHD and Bipolar Disorder
  • Takeaway Points for Clinicians and Therapists

Authors

Susan Depasquale, MA, MSN, PMHNP-BC

Susan DePasquale is a board certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Her current practice is with families, youth and adults who have mental illnesses in both inpatient and outpatient settings, including telepsychiatry for Montana, Washington and Wisconsin communities. She completed her Masters of Art in Political Science at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Masters of Science in Nursing at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle, Washington with a focus in neurogastroenterology and the Post-Masters of Science in Nursing at the Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana with a focus in psychiatry. She has worked with small and rural healthcare teams in British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, Canada, and in teaching and research hospitals such as Providence Health and Virginia Mason Medical Center Digestive and Liver Disease Departments in Seattle. Since 2012, she has been actively involved in online continuing education program development for nurses and health teams.

William Cook, PhD

William Cook, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist who worked for 15 years in private practice in Montana before leaving his practice to work full time as the Director of CE4Less. He earned his doctorate degree from Texas A&M University, and focused much of his psychology practice in the area of child and family counseling, as well as psychological testing. Dr. Cook likes new challenges, foreign traveling to Africa and areas of Europe and the near East, scuba diving, running, music, and spending time with his family.