Bipolar Disorder Self-Management Practices and Challenges for Young Adults
The importance of individuals with bipolar disorder taking a central role in their health by engaging in effective self-management practices has been increasingly recognised.
The early development of these practices may also lead to better symptom and functional outcomes. However, research into self-management strategy use has been in adult populations, further along their illness course. To better facilitate strategy use in young adults, it is critical we understand their self-management practices and challenges.
A recent study by Jennifer Nicholas, a PhD candidate at the Black Dog Institute, has shed light on self-management strategy use in young adults (aged 18-30) with bipolar disorder. The study identified six main self-management strategies as reported by young adults with the disorder.
- Maintaining a healthy lifestyle – including exercise, eating a balanced diet with reduced alcohol, regular and adequate sleep, and maintaining a routine.
- Medication adherence or psychological therapy attendance.
- Participation in meaningful activities – including work and study.
- Engagement with social support networks – with a predominance on friendships.
- Meditative and relaxation strategies – such as deep breathing.
- Symptom monitoring.
However, results also uncovered that few young adults had tried strategies that both mental health professionals and older individuals living well with the disorder, deem vital in maintaining wellness. No participants mentioned stay-well plan use, and when asked directly, only half had tried one.
Check out this link for information on stay well plans and a template is available here.
Challenges identified were around stigma, relationship maintenance and disorder chronicity.
The next step in the research is to investigate how to give young adults the support and resources needed to engage in a range of effective self-management practices.
Are there any online resources that might help the young patients that you see with bipolar disorder with these six key areas of self-management?
The PTSD Program for people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Do you know anyone who has difficulty motivating themselves to exercise? I think we all know people who get too depressed to exercise or too anxious to leave the house. But there are other people who, despite a lack of “diagnosis”, find exercise hugely difficult to contemplate.
As someone who has practiced medicine for almost four decades I have had the opportunity to observe firsthand the upsurge in the use of opioid pain killers in non-cancer pain.