title: Living with bipolar disorder: the impact on patients, spouses, and their marital relationship.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients with bipolar disorder are characterized by an unusually high divorce rate. As such, the purpose of the present study was to uncover information relating specifically to the impact of bipolar disorder on patients and spouses individually, and on the marital relationship from the perspectives of both patients and spouses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eleven patients with bipolar disorder and ten spouses were interviewed separately about the impact of bipolar disorder on their lives and on their marital relationship. Data were analyzed using the grounded theory method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The impact of bipolar disorder for spouses included self-sacrifice, caregiving burden, emotional impact, and a sense of personal evolution. The impact of bipolar disorder on patients included an emotional impact, responsibility for self-care, and struggling socially and developmentally. When comparing patient and spouse perspectives on the impact of the disorder, neither the patient nor the spouse was able to accurately assess the impact of the disorder on their partner's lives. The impact of bipolar disorder on the relationship included volatility in the relationship, strengthening the relationship, weakening the relationship, and family planning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The research indicated that patients and partners alike struggle with the tremendous impact of bipolar disorder on their lives and on their relationships. Given the high rates of divorce and volatility in these relationships, healthcare professionals can provide (or refer to) emotional and practical support both to patients and spouses on their own, and as a couple in their clinics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: Leeat
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Granek
authors.affiliation: Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: Dor
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Danan
authors.affiliation: Beer Sheva Mental Health Center, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: Yuly
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bersudsky
authors.affiliation: Beer Sheva Mental Health Center, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: Yamima
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Osher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D017281:Cost of Illness; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004243:Divorce / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012944:Social Support; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: bipolar disorder; caregiving; living with bipolar disorder; marital relationship; patients; qualitative methods; spouses