“Recovery” in bipolar disorder: How can service users be supported through a self-management intervention? A qualitative focus group study

Abstract

Background

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a chronic and recurrent affective disorder. Recovery is defined as the process by which people can live fulfilling lives despite experiencing symptoms.

Aims

To explore how an opportunistically recruited group of service users with BD experience recovery and self-management to understand more about how a service users' recovery may be supported.

Method

Twelve service users with BD took part in a series of focus groups. Service users' responses to questions about their personal experiences of self-management and recovery were analysed. Focus groups were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis ([. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101]) was employed to identify common themes in the data.

Results

Four key themes were identified: (1) Recovery is not about being symptom free; (2) Recovery requires taking responsibility for your own wellness; (3) Self-management: building on existing techniques; (4) Overcoming barriers to recovery: negativity, stigma and taboo.

Conclusion

Service users with BD have provided further support for the concept of recovery and have suggested a number of ways recovery can be supported. A self-management approach informed by the recovery literature has been proposed as a way to support service users' recovery.

Keywords:

• bipolar disorder
• recovery
• self-management
• supported recovery
• web-based intervention

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Kay Hampshire and Laura Wainwright for their assistance in the running of the focus groups. The project was funded by a Mersey Care NHS Trust Research and Development Grant.

Declaration of Interest: The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.