The Paradox of Being Both Needed and Rejected: The Existential Meaning of Being Closely Related to a Person with Bipolar Disorder

Abstract

The aim of this study was to elucidate the existential meaning of being closely related to a person with bipolar disorder. A qualitative, descriptive, and explorative design with a phenomenological meaning-oriented analysis was used. The findings reveal a paradoxical, existential exposure of close relatives to a person with bipolar disorder, being both needed and rejected whilst being overshadowed by the specific changeable nature of bipolar disorder. Psychiatric health care services are recommended to consider changes in attitudes and structures that may facilitate close relatives’ participation in the care and treatment of persons with bipolar disorder.