Removing the stigma from bipolar condition

WITH one in every 100 people experiencing bipolar disorder, a new campaign is in train to draw attention to the condition.

The 99 & Me campaign (www.99andme.ie) aims to tackle the misunderstandings surrounding the condition. According to research released in medical journal The Lancet, there is an average delay of five to 10 years between the onset of bipolar disorder and its diagnosis. This research also found many patients who seek treatment for depression are misdiagnosed and actually have bipolar disorder.

One of the key aims of 99 & Me is to remove the stigma and negativity surrounding bipolar disorder and provide information and support both to people with the condition and their loved ones.
Dr Paul Scully, consultant psychiatrist at St James’s Hospital, Dublin said, “It’s essential that we continue to address the stigma surrounding bipolar disorder. From the public’s view there are various myths and a general lack of understanding surrounding the condition and often this can hinder those who would benefit from support accessing the services they need.

“Appropriate, accessible resources and supports can address this and are much-needed. The initiative fills this gap and is a useful tool for patients, families and healthcare professionals, who may be interacting with these patients in primary care,” he said.

Dr Scully added, “Not infrequently, bipolar disorder may be misdiagnosed as depression so a greater understanding of the condition, both from a medical perspective and from that of patients and families, is vital.”
To inform the development of the campaign, research was undertaken by Lundbeck in partnership with Empathy Research. Almost a third of people had experienced symptoms for two to three years before diagnosis with the most common symptoms that prompted people to seek help being unexplained mood swings (55%), risk-taking, poor judgment, reckless behaviour (46%) and an episode of mania (45%).

Eleven percent of those included in the survey were themselves diagnosed with bipolar disorder, while 46% had a family member with a diagnosis. Key findings indicated a quarter of people were diagnosed between the ages of 31-40. Of the people with a diagnosis, only a third were diagnosed by a GP, while more than 78% were diagnosed by a psychiatrist, indicating the need for accurate understanding of the condition in primary care settings.

The majority (62%) sought treatment through the public health system but more than a third had to wait three months or more to get an appointment with a psychiatrist. More than a third of people with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder (37%) had problems taking medication as required and one in three reported being unable to work due to the impact the condition has on their lives.