title: Persons living with bipolar disorder--their view of the illness and the future.
abstract: The aim of this study is to describe the meaning of living with bipolar disorder (BD) based on individuals' views of the illness and their future. Interviews were conducted with 18 participants who resided in Sweden and had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Qualitative content analysis was employed. The findings revealed that daily life of those with BD was characterized by insecurity and challenges of accepting, understanding, and managing the illness. Increased hope of being able to influence the condition and receiving support to achieve a stable structure in life facilitates the management of daily life. Further research is needed on the next of kins' experiences of living with persons with BD.
authors.affiliation: The Sahlgrenska Academy, The Vårdal Institute at Göteborg University, Institute of Health and Caring Sciences, Göteborg, Sweden. patrik.jonsson@lthalland.se
authors.forename: Patrik Dahlqvist
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Jönsson
authors.forename: Helle
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wijk
authors.forename: Ingela
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Skärsäter
authors.forename: Ella
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Danielson
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D032882:Comprehension; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009013:Morale; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013240:Stereotyping; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D035501:Uncertainty