Good Example Of Treatment For Bipolar Disorder Report

Jane Doe

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Bipolar Disorder is a severe psychological disorder known for manic behavior. Treatment of Bipolar Disorder (BD) is usually effective with a psychotropic medication, such as lithium prophylaxis. Evidence suggests that there is a strong biological correlation to BD as a disease with a high estimation of heritability compared to many other psychiatric disorders (Duffy, 2010).
The findings of the hereditary risk for children of parents with BD, increases the opportunity for pre-diagnosis of the condition in future generation. One interesting discovery through neuroanatomical and neurocognitive findings states that a biological vulnerability is not pre-existing in the individual suffering BD; however, the burden of illness is the instigator of neurocognitive dysfunction (Duffy, 2010). The evidence provides justification for the benefits of early diagnosis in children and adolescents to prevent full blown symptoms in their lives. Unfortunately despite longitudinal observational studies done in previous years by experts in the field of psychiatry, solid conclusions for beneficial treatment plans for individuals and families have not been comprehensively formulated (Duffy, 2014).

Treatment

Fortunately there are treatments available for patients displaying symptoms of BD. Most commonly, medication management along with psychotherapy are extremely effective. The problem, however, is the fact that many psychiatric patients have low levels of adherence to their medication treatment plan.
Let us consider the case of fifty-five year old male, James who is seeking treatment for his BD after some episodes that alarmed his family as well as himself. James has a family history of the disease that confirms that he is most likely a vulnerable candidate in need of immediate attention. One of the plans for treatment will include medication; however, the healthcare professionals must ensure that James will adhere to the plan in order to achieve successful treatment. One of the methods that help in patient continuation of medication as a part of their therapy is through use of Motivational Interviewing (MI). MI is a method of discussing with the patients, the benefits of taking their medications and remaining on them for long-term benefits to in improving the quality of their lives. The method is non-aggressive and designed to allow the patient to have a sense of control in the decision to comply with the treatment plan (Lakkso, 2012).

Resources

Duffy, A. (2010, August). The early natural history of bipolar disorder: What we have learned
Duffy, A. (2014, December). Towards a comprehensive clinical staging model for bipolar
disorder: Integrating the evidence. Can J Psychiatry, 59(12), 659-666.
Lakkso, L. J. (2012). Motivational interviewing: Addressing ambivalence to improve medication
adherence in patients with bipolar disorder. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 33(), 8-14 .