Bipolar Disorder Re admission Prevention

Self-Care Management for Bipolar Patients to Prevent Re-admission

Bipolar disorder is a serious mental health disorder characterized by what could, in basic terms, be defined as extreme mood swings. To a large extent, it is a condition that could be effectively treated and managed following the deployment of the relevant interventions. These interventions could be inclusive of medications and psychotherapy.

It would, however, be prudent to note that as Hamilton, Passos, Cardoso, Jansen, Allen, Begley, Soares, and Kapczinski (2016) point out, those diagnosed with bipolar disorders happen to have a rather high rate of readmission. Alongside bipolar disorder, other serious mental health illnesses that have been associated with a high rate of readmission are inclusive of major depressive disorder and schizophrenia (Vyas, 2016). James, Charlemagne, Gilman, Alemi, Smith, Tharayil, and Freeman (2011) also make a similar finding to the effect that “considerable evidence suggests that patients with serious mental illness (SMI) have higher 30-day readmission rates following medical hospitalizations than those without SMI” (311). It therefore follows that there is a clear need for the implementation of various interventions in an effort to reduce readmissions among patients diagnosed with SMI – specifically bipolar disorder.

Various studies have indicated that the relevance of a structured discharge protocol cannot be overstated on this front. The said discharge protocol ought to have in place clear measures and interventions meant to reduce the chances of the bipolar patient being re-admitted at the facility. Some of the measures and interventions highlighted by Sledge, Lawless, Sells, Wieland, O’Connell, and Davidson (2011) are inclusive of establishment of self-care plans for the patient following their release. There is also need to ensure that family and friends are sensitized on, and roped into the said self-care plans. Patients and those they closely interact with the said patients should also be made aware of factors which could trigger bipolar disorder relapse. Such factors have been identified by Taylor, Holsinger, Flanagan, Ayers, Hutchison and Terhorst (2016) as being inclusive of utilization of drugs and alcohol, relationship conflicts, failure to take medications as directed, etc. The relevance of regular clinical followups cannot also be overstated. This is more so the case given that as Vyas (2016) observes, patients who adhere to a well-structured follow-up routine experience lower readmission rates. The present study will largely focus on self-care management for bipolar patients with an aim of preventing readmission. For this reason, the primary focus will be on strategies for coping and self-monitoring.

References

Hamilton, J.E., Passos, I.C., Cardoso, T.A., Jansen, K., Allen, M., Begley, C.E., Soares,

J.C., & Kapczinski, F. (2016). Predictors of psychiatric readmission among

patients with bipolar disorder at an academic safety-net hospital. Australian and

New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 50(6), 76-81.