Daughter hearing voices

I have a 9 year old daughter who told me this evening that she hears voices. When I asked her what they are saying to her she said that she can't tell what they are saying because there are a bunch of voices but the voices make her "space out" and she can't hear anything else that is going on around her and that is why she never hears me when I talk to her.  I asked her how long she has heard the voices and she said for a long time. She was wanting to know if it is bad to hear voices. Her father has Bipolar Disorder and I didn't know if a child this young could have it as well. Thank you

[ILADVOCATE]

Yes bipolar disorder can sometimes occur at that age and it can be inherited but hearing voices is a sign of psychosis which is different from moodswings. First have a neurologist rule out any physical cause because what she described potentially shows a temporary loss in consciousness so they would need to rule out epilepsy and the like (I have recovered from schizoaffective disorder and what she describes sounds a bit different). If they could determine no physical cause then they would consider whether it was appropriate to refer her to a psychiatrist. Then they could provide a diagnosis. However, because it is essential to have standard talk therapy as well she should see a child psychologist. All of these doctors should coordinate.