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It is important to be able to distinguish what are symptoms of bipolar disorder and what is not. A study done by Mathew et al. was done with the aim of “examining the perceptions of illness in self and among other patients with bipolar disorder in remission”.

The study took place at the Department of Psychiatry, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India, which is a centre that specializes in the “management of patients with mental and behavioural disorders”. Eighty two patients (thirty two female and fifty male) agreed to partake in the study. These patients met the “International Classification of Diseases – 10 diagnostic criteria for a diagnosis of bipolar disorder I or II and were in remission” and were put through a variety of baseline assessments before beginning the study. These baseline assessments included using a vignette, which was then used as an assessment tool during their follow-up. Patients were then randomly divided into two groups, one who would be following a “structured educational intervention programme” (experimental group), while the other would be following “usual care” (control group).

The study was based on an interview in which patients were asked an array of open-eded questions regarding topics such as “perceived causes, consequences, severity and its effects on body, emotion, social network and home life, and on work, severity, possible course of action, help-seeking behaviour and the role of the doctor/healer”. The McNemar test was then used to compare the patients perspective of the illness versus their explanation of the illness. The results of the study show that the beliefs that patients associated with their illness corresponds with the possible causes of the disorder, whereas “studies done among patients during periods of active psychosis have recorded disagreement between their assessments of their own illness”. This ties in to how difficult self-awareness is within people who suffer from bipolar disorder.

Although this study was done on a population that were in remission from the disease, the distinction between patients during “active psychosis” versus those in remission shows the evolution of their self-awareness throughout their journey to recovery.