The lived experience of caring for someone with bipolar disorder: A qualitative study

Being a close family or friend of someone with bipolar disorder (BD) can lead to experiences of increased stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms related to the burden of caring. However, the lived experience of being a carer for a person with BD has not received significant research attention. This...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2023-01, Vol.18 (1), p.e0280059
Main Authors: Speirs, Bronte, Hanstock, Tanya L, Kay-Lambkin, Frances J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological
Analysis
Anxiety
Beliefs, opinions and attitudes
Biology and Life Sciences
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar Disorder - therapy
Care and treatment
Care of the sick
Caregivers
Cognition & reasoning
Coping
Decision making
Families & family life
Humans
Intervention
Interviews
Medical research
Medicine and Health Sciences
Medicine, Experimental
Mental disorders
Mental health
Psychological aspects
Qualitative Research
Research and Analysis Methods
Schizophrenia
Social aspects
Social Sciences
Stigma
Stress
Stress (Psychology)
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Summary:Being a close family or friend of someone with bipolar disorder (BD) can lead to experiences of increased stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms related to the burden of caring. However, the lived experience of being a carer for a person with BD has not received significant research attention. This study aimed to gain further insight into the experiences of individuals in an informal caring role for someone with BD and determine what additional information and support these people need to take care of both themselves and the person they are caring for. Fifteen qualitative interviews were carried out with carers discussing their lived experiences with utilising coping strategies and supporting someone with BD. Following the interviews, thematic analysis was used to identify five key themes. These themes were: Separation of the person and the disorder, carer health and coping strategies, unpredictability and variability of symptoms, carer disillusionment and silencing, and story sharing and support needs. Overall, the findings highlighted the need for increased in-person and online support specifically tailored for carers with loved ones experiencing BD.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0280059