positive psychological aspects of bipolar disorder

These positive psychological aspects of bipolar disorder are of importance to the public and the scientific community partly because of the relationship to social stigma and quality of life in patients suffering from psychiatric disorders. Regarding stigma, people with bipolar disorders have to cope not only with their illness, but also with negative attitudes about them . Many people assume that these individuals are at least partially responsible for their condition . 

These pejorative convictions are accompanied by negative emotional reactions that are transmitted to patients with bipolar disorder, leading to social withdrawal and even drifting into poverty or homelessness . Individuals with mental illness, compared to those with physical illness, are confronted more frequently with feelings of anger, often seen as dangerous , and much less frequently given pity or sympathy . Social stigma is likely to affect well-being, quality of life and reintegration either directly or indirectly . For these reasons many affected individuals tend to keep the illness a secret or to avoid contact with people who could react by rejecting them . Furthermore, a psychiatric ‘label’ can have negative impacts on the work status and income of patients, as well as on their willingness to seek help and comply to the treatment prescribed . One way to combat stigma would be to appreciate positive aspects of mental illness.

Regarding quality of life, numerous studies demonstrate an impairment in bipolar disorder, even despite symptom improvement with medications . Why is there a disconnection between symptomatic improvement and quality of life? One possibility is that clinicians and researchers have not paid much attention to protecting and even enhancing the positive aspects of mental illness . By focusing on treating the symptoms of bipolar disorder, clinicians may inadvertently dull the positive aspects of the illness, resulting in less benefit for patients.

Positive psychological traits are underappreciated as a potential benefit of mental illness. Their impact on the course and treatment of bipolar disorder is unknown. Paying attention to positive psychological issues may be an innovative strategy to obtain better clinical outcomes in this illness.