The experience of patients with bipolar disorder from diagnosis disclosure: A qualitative study

Abstract

Background: Disclosure of the diagnosis is an essential part of the treatment process and an important part of patient rights. However, it can be a very stressful experience, especially in mental health disorders. Patients with bipolar disorder have a unique experience of receiving and managing their diagnosis. The objective of the current study was to explore the experience of patients with bipolar disorder of diagnosis disclosure.Methods: This was a qualitative study. Participants were recruited from patients who knew their disorder's name using purposive sampling method. The inclusion criteria were being diagnosed by a psychiatrist as having bipolar disorder and the disclosure was conducted by a psychiatrist. Sixteen semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with twelve patients. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis.Results: Patients received their diagnosis name in three steps including Wandering in Unknowns, Limited Brightness and Reaching to a Relative Insight. Patients believed that disclosure of the diagnosis was not accompanied by enough information. Conclusion:The disclosure of diagnosis in patients with bipolar disorder without providing enough information is stressful and is not helpful in empowering these patients. Based on our results, disclosure of diagnosis to patients with bipolar disorder was not conducted with enough information and patients had problems for understanding their symptoms and treatments.

Experiences that matter in bipolar disorder: a qualitative study using the capability, comfort and calm framework

“…Individuals with bipolar disorder report severe disruptions to life, psychosocial dysfunction, social stigma and loss of purpose or identity (Pollack and Aponte 2001;Sajatovic et al 2005;Inder et al 2008;Jönsson et al 2008;Venkataraman and Ackerson 2008;Delmas et al 2011;Ward 2011;Crowe et al 2012;Borg et al 2013;Hawke et al 2013;Madden et al 2020). Treatment-related distress is also reported in association with inadequate provider knowledge, limited treatment options and reduced patient involvement or trust (Fisher et al 2018;Maassen et al 2018;Zolfi Kashani et al 2020).…”