summary: 23.5% of people with bipolar disorder achieve complete mental health, and 43% are completely free of bipolar symptoms. Despite these positive outcomes, people with a history of bipolar disorder are less likely to achieve good health than their peers.
Key factors in achieving mental health include having a trusted confidant, embracing spirituality and being free from chronic pain. This study highlights the need for comprehensive support for people with bipolar disorder to thrive.
Key Facts:
- 23.5% of Canadians with bipolar disorder have achieved full mental health.
- A trusted confidant and spirituality are very important for mental health.
- People without chronic pain are more likely to achieve mental health.
sauce: University of Toronto
A new study conducted by the University of Toronto Journal of Affective Disorders Reports It highlights that of Canadians previously diagnosed with bipolar disorder, 43% never exhibited bipolar symptoms and approximately one in four (23.5%) achieved full mental health.
Despite these encouraging findings, people with a history of bipolar disorder were far less likely to thrive than their peers: Three-quarters of people without a history of bipolar disorder were completely mentally healthy.
“Even after accounting for a range of sociodemographic and health factors, people with a history of bipolar disorder still face greater challenges in achieving full mental health compared to those without such a diagnosis,” says author Melanie J. Katz, a researcher at the University of Toronto’s Institute on Lifecourse Aging.
“Addressing the multifaceted needs of people living with bipolar disorder requires a comprehensive approach that includes social support, effective coping strategies, and access to appropriate resources and services.”
The study analyzed data from Statistics Canada’s Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health and compared 555 Canadians with a history of bipolar disorder with 20,530 respondents who did not have such a history.
To be considered in perfect mental health, participants had to be free of any mental illness in the past year, including bipolar disorder, depression, substance use disorder, or suicidal thoughts, and they had to report on their social and psychological well-being, happiness, or life satisfaction on an almost daily basis.
“Having a trusted confidant emerged as the most influential factor in achieving complete mental health,” said co-author Ishna Gulati, who recently graduated with a Master of Public Health from the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health.
“Adopting spirituality as a coping mechanism and the absence of chronic pain were also identified as strong predictors of psychological thriving.”
Interventions designed to foster supportive environments, strengthen social bonds, enhance coping mechanisms, and address physical health issues such as chronic pain may empower people with bipolar disorder to more effectively navigate the path to recovery and resilience, the authors argue.
The study also found a higher prevalence of complete mental health among married people, older respondents, those with higher incomes, and those with no lifetime history of drug or alcohol abuse.
“Most of the research on people with bipolar disorder hasn’t focused on recovery and optimal functioning,” says Esme Fuller Thomson, a professor in the Factor-Inwentash School of Social Work and director of the Life Course Aging Institute at the University of Toronto.
“We hope that people with the disorder, their loved ones and health professionals will be encouraged to know that a quarter of respondents who had bipolar disorder are now well and happy or satisfied most days of the year.”
“Our study highlights the complex challenges faced by people with bipolar disorder and the multifaceted nature of recovery,” Fuller-Thomson said.
“By identifying key factors that contribute to complete mental health, our findings provide actionable insights for clinicians and mental health professionals. Tailored interventions can support this population not only in alleviating symptoms but also in achieving overall wellness.”
Bipolar Disorder and Mental Health Research News
author: Dale Duncan
sauce: University of Toronto
contact: Dale Duncan – University of Toronto
image: Image courtesy of Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
“The continuum of recovery for Canadians with bipolar disorder: from remission to full mental health” by Esme Fuller-Thomson et al. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports
Abstract
The continuum of recovery for Canadians with bipolar disorder: From remission to full mental health.
the purpose
Research on recovery from bipolar disorder has focused primarily on symptom remission and diagnostic criteria, but has paid less attention to other aspects of mental health and psychosocial functioning.
This study examines the prevalence of and factors associated with bipolar disorder recovery across three levels: (1) bipolar disorder remission, (2) absence of mental illness (APD), and (3) complete mental health (CMH), which incorporates measures of well-being, life satisfaction, psychological well-being, and absence of mental illness.
Method
Data were drawn from the Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health 2012. A subsample of 555 adults with bipolar disorder was analyzed using bivariate chi-squared analyses and multivariate logistic regression models.
result
Nearly one in four participants with bipolar disorder (23%) achieved CMH, which was significantly lower than the 74% of participants without bipolar disorder who achieved CMH. Factors associated with CMH in people with bipolar disorder included older age, higher household income, being married, having someone they could trust, using religion or spirituality as a coping mechanism, lack of substance abuse or addiction, and lack of debilitating chronic pain.
Limitations
Lack of data on certain psychiatric disorders, exclusion of hospitalized or non-responding participants, and social desirability may have biased the results.
Conclusion
By identifying factors associated with CMH in patients with bipolar disorder, this study provides insight into recovery from bipolar disorder beyond symptom remission, highlights subgroups who may be at higher risk for further mental health deterioration, and helps inform interventions to support the recovery of individuals affected by bipolar disorder.
