Successful Management of Bipolar Disorder and the Role of Social Support
Five persons with Bipolar I Disorder who had achieved success in school, employment, homemaking and social relationships were interviewed in depth about their lives and the course of their Bipolar 1 Disorder. A total of six individuals identified as part of the support systems of the persons with Bipolar I Disorder were also interviewed. Data collection, presentation and analysis were informed by essentialist methodology (Witz, Goodwin, Heart, and Thomas, 2001) and involved the creation of a portrait for each case---the person with Bipolar I Disorder and the person(s) who support(s) them. Analysis also involved identifying themes within cases and between cases. Findings include the struggles that occurred before diagnosis and treatment, the interaction between life events and Bipolar I Disorder and most prominently the identification of prodromal signs of Bipolar I Disorder in each participant with Bipolar I Disorder. Discussion follows regarding Early Onset Bipolar Disorder, implications for practice, and further research.
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign