Researchers aimed at evaluating the specific association of bipolar disorder (BD) polygenic risk scores (PRSs) with the familial transmission of BD in youth.

• This is a case-control study including 336 parents and 409 offspring.

• Researchers identified significantly and specifically higher BD PRS particularly for those with mood disorders compared with those without BD.

• An increased risk for offspring to develop BD was recorded in correlation with parental and offspring BD PRS; this was noted beyond the correlation of parental BD diagnosis.

• In BD offspring, presence of higher BD PRS could not only add to the clinical validation of BD in youth but also elevates the risk for BD; however, given the small association of BD PRS, risk to develop BD cannot be determined using it alone.