In these unprecedented times, today on World Bipolar Day, the BDRN team is thinking of all of those individuals throughout the world living with bipolar disorder and other mental health conditions who will be profoundly affected at this very difficult time.
We were planning local community events to mark today but instead we are writing this piece to highlight the challenges individuals with bipolar disorder will face in the coming months including difficulties accessing support and services, loneliness, anxiety, concerns about physical and mental health and being unable to implement usual routines and self-management techniques. This will be a very hard time for many individuals with bipolar disorder and their families.
In the UK the charity Bipolar UK is doing its very best to support individuals with bipolar disorder including via on-line peer support in its moderated eCommunity and blogs written by individuals self-isolating with bipolar disorder. You can visit their website here https://www.bipolaruk.org
The BDRN research is continuing throughout this period so please do get in touch with us if you have any questions about our research or True Colours mood monitoring. We encourage all True Colours users to continue to complete their True Colours questions during this time if they possibly can – their responses will contribute to crucial research into the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on mental health. Thank you.
We are working remotely at this time so we no longer have access to our telephone line but we are available via email. To get in touch please use the contacts field on our homepage or email us at moodresearch@worc.ac.uk