Social Work Commons^™

The Lived Experience Of Bipolar Disorder: A Systematic Review And Meta-Synthesis, Joseph Walsh, Jacqueline Corcoran, Paula Crooks, Nathan Cooke, Cory Cummings

Social Work Publications

The purpose of this meta-synthesis was to review the available qualitative research on the lived experience of persons with bipolar disorder in order to find common themes that may enhance practitioner understanding. In this meta-synthesis, limited to studies conducted in the United States, 12 studies involving 234 participants met the authors’ inclusion criteria, and the following four major crosscutting themes, with subthemes, were identified: the process of acceptance of the diagnosis; its negative impact on relationships; internal coping strategies; and reliance on social support. Implications of these findings for direct practice are explored.