Weintraub MJ, et al. - In view of the findings from Course and Outcome of Bipolar Youth study (Birmaher and colleagues) indicating one of four distinct mood trajectories was followed by children and adolescents with bipolar spectrum disorders, with up to 25% showing a mostly euthymic course, researchers examined if adolescents with bipolar I and II disorder who participated in a 2-year clinical trial show similar patterns. Over a 2-year period, 144 adolescents with bipolar I or II disorder, were randomized to one of two psychosocial family treatments during the primary 9 months of the study; pharmacotherapy was given throughout the two years. Four mood trajectories were identified performing latent class growth analyses: “predominantly euthymic” (29.9% of sample), “ill with significantly improving course” (11.1%), “moderately euthymic” (26.4%), and “ill with moderately improving course” (32.6%). Findings revealed euthymic states endure over lengthy periods of follow-up in a large percentage (25%-30%) of youth with bipolar I or II disorder. They noted more symptomatic courses of illness over time in youth with more severe baseline depressive symptoms, suicidality, lower quality of life scores, and minority race.