Understanding Bipolar Disorder: Assessment, Intervention, and Collaborative Decision Making

Mental Health 1
MENTAL HEALTH
by [NAME]
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Mental Health 2
Bi-Polar Disorder
Introduction
A bipolar disorder may also be referred to as a manic-depressive illness. It is a disorder of
the brain that causes strange variations activity levels, mood, energy, and the ability to carry out
normal daily activities. The mood swings may include hypomania and depression. Individuals
with this disorder may, therefore, experience periods during when they feel excessively
energized and happy while other periods they experience extreme sadness (Carr et al., 2016).
There are four types of bipolar disorders that include Bipolar I Disorder, Bipolar II disorder,
cyclothymia, and other types that may be specified or unspecified (Craddock and Sklar, 2013, p.
1658). In this essay, we will talk about people with bipolar disorder I (PWBD). It is important to
have a good understanding of bipolar disorder and its signs and symptoms so that the best
clinical interventions can be initiated.
The essay talks about an outline of the service user from the presented scenario that may
include any information about the illness. The essay also explores any appropriate theoretical
concepts that are useful in the assessment and delivery of intervention that could help the service
user. Additionally, the essay talks about the role of the nurse in the assessment, planning, and
delivery and evaluation of care. The essay further talks about the significance of collaborative
decision-making in preventing patient deterioration and enhancing recovery. Finally, the essay
critically analyzes the concepts around risk assessment, risk stratification, and risk management
in addition to the local services and interventions that may be available.
This topic is of special importance to the patients, their families, and health practitioners.
Understanding the concept around bipolar disorder may help an individual in recognizing the

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symptoms depending on their mood swings and seek medication before these symptoms become
severe. Therefore, one can call their doctor and work with the doctor in collaboration to manage
the disorder (Ghaemi et al., 2014, p. 102). It is additionally worth noting that having enough
knowledge regarding this topic helps an individual in understanding the medication that may be
administered to them and all the potential side effects (Hodgkin et al., 2018). This topic also
helps individuals to learn about the lifestyle changes that they may make to help in reducing
mood swings.
Background
The patient in the provided scenario is a 28-year-old man who has also been diagnosed
with Bipolar Affective Disorder. This condition is otherwise known as bipolar disorder. He has a
bipolar I disorder that dates back to 8 years ago. Having bipolar disorder makes the patient’s
mood alternate between mania and depression with periods of normal mood in between. An
individual feels more productive at work and is confident of accomplishing anything they set
their mind to. Then all of a sudden, they start experiencing extreme depression, and they feel
unworthy. There is a feeling of excitement that suddenly changes to a feeling of sadness that
never goes away. An individual changes from being full of energy to being extremely tired.
The life journey of people with bipolar disorder I is always a tricky one that demands a
lot of care to help the individuals with this disorder. They have to experience a battle between
their emotions and intellect on a daily basis. They have to remind themselves of all the things
they must do to survive, and sometimes the only way to do this is by reminding themselves that
they have a purpose in this life (Duffy et al., 2014, p. 123). The service users will hear a lot of
voices in their minds telling them a lot of negative things that can make them engage in harmful

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activities. The most important way to tackle this problem is by learning from yesterday, living
for today, and hoping for tomorrow.
Bipolar disorder is ranked as the fourth most common mental health illness. The first
three include depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. In the UK, around 2% of the population
experiences a lifetime prevalence of bipolar disorder. Women between the age of 16-24
experience the highest rate of bipolar disorders (Laursen, 2011, p. 102). Men, on the other hand,
averaged around 3% positive outcomes on bipolar at several age groups. Additionally, younger
people are at higher risk of having a bipolar disorder when compared to the adults (Dols et al.,
2014, p. 115).
Patients with bipolar disorder die from some causes that may include heart diseases and
flu. Death rates are reportedly high among individuals with bipolar disorder with a reduction of
around 10-20 years in life expectancy (Laursen, 2011, p. 103). The most elevated cause of death
among people with bipolar disorder is suicide (Malhi et al., 2013, p. 566). According to WHO
reports, over 90% of individuals recovering from bipolar disorder experience relapses in
different episodes of their lives. The reports further indicate that within 2 to 5 years,
approximately 60-75% of patients experience relapses.
The treatment of this disorder is very challenging for the primary care service providers
and diagnosing it is even more difficult. This difficulty is in most cases caused by the negative
attitudes of the patients towards the available services . They live in denial due to the fear of
stigmatization that comes from having this disorder. There is also limited education regarding
this disorder leading to a confusing presentation of bipolar disorder that has caused several cases
of misdiagnosis. The education is also important to help patients with drug adherence. The