Hold on Tight: Coping Strategies of Persons With Bipolar Disorder and Their Partners

Abstract

Objective To explore coping strategies for persons with bipolar affective disorder and their partners. Background Bipolar disorder poses interpersonal and practical challenges for patients and their partners. Although the divorce rate is high among persons with bipolar disorder, few studies have examined how these people and their partners cope with the condition. Method 11 persons with bipolar affective disorder and 10 partners of people with bipolar affective disorder were interviewed separately about coping. Data were analyzed using the grounded theory method. Results Both patients and partners reported that coping strategies included professional help, social support, and emotional, instrumental, and religious coping strategies. Conclusions Persons with bipolar disorder and their partners draw on similar coping strategies, but the former draw more on social support and instrumental coping strategies, and their partners draw on emotional coping strategies. Both members of the couple are dependent on the use of professional support—psychiatric, psychological, and psychosocial—when it is readily available and easily accessible, and this was a key aspect of coping with the disorder. Implications Clinical interventions should focus on providing support for partners, who are integral to the health and well‐being of persons with bipolar disorder and who experience substantial strain associated with their caregiving duties. Focusing on strategies to strengthen the spousal relationship is an essential aspect of care.

Emotional journey of wives of spouses diagnosed with bipolar I disorder: moving from vicissitude towards reconciliation

“…Iseselo et al ( 2016 ) cited that caregivers learn to accept and reconcile with the disability or unexpected behaviour of the relative who is mentally ill in order to avoid the frustration and disappointment that could result from the patient’s deviant behaviour. Similarly, Granek et al ( 2018 ) found that partners of bipolar patients particularly discussed that it was helpful to dodge strong emotional reactions, use acceptance and take it one day at a time during the more trying times. Other participants talked of not spending much of their time thinking about the effects of Bipolar Disorder excessively, and instead trying to focus on positive aspects.…”

Acceptance, coping strategies and health behaviors in bipolar disorder patients taking and not taking lithium carbonate

“…However, they most often actively approach aversive stimuli. It is advisable to pay attention to this aspect of functioning in clinical practice because some strategies, i.e., denial, discharge, use of psychoactive substances, blaming, seeking instrumental support (which, according to research, are more frequent in patients than in the healthy population), affect the maintenance of psychopathology ( Granek et al, 2018 ).…”

Religious Experiences in the Context of Bipolar Disorder: Serious Pathology and/or Genuine Spirituality? A Narrative Review against the Background of the Literature about Bipolar Disorder and Religion

“…A religious frame of reference may give a name to and understanding of human suffering and can provide access to religious or spiritual resources. It was an important way to manage the illness, both for patients and their relatives, in a qualitative Israeli study of coping strategies of patients and partners (Granek et al 2018). According to a Turkish study (Çuhadar et al 2015), religious coping most frequently occurred among outpatients with an adaptive coping attitude focused on healthy behavior, irrespective of psychotic or manic symptoms.…”