Self-Stigma and Bipolar Disorder: A Systematic Review and Best Evidence Synthesis

Course overview

Course Description: This course is based on material published in the Journal of Affective Disorders and is available as an open-access article. Bipolar disorder is a severe and chronic mental illness characterized by recurrent major depressive episodes and mania or hypomania. In addition to the burden of the disease and its consequences, self-stigma can impact people with bipolar disorder. This review investigates the current state of research on self-stigma in bipolar disorder. An electronic search was carried out until February 2022. Three academic databases were systematically searched, and the best-evidence synthesis was made. Sixty-six articles were related to self-stigma in bipolar disorder. Seven key themes were extracted from these studies: 1/ Comparison of self-stigma in bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses, 2/ Sociocultural context and self-stigma, 3/ Correlates and predictors of self-stigma, 4/ Consequences of self-stigma, 5/ Treatments and self-stigma, 6/ Management of self-stigma, and 7/ Self-stigma and recovery in bipolar disorder. Firstly, a meta-analysis could not be performed due to the heterogeneity of the studies. Secondly, limiting the search to self-stigma has excluded other forms of stigma that also have an impact. Thirdly, the under-reporting of negative or nonsignificant results due to publication bias and unpublished studies might have limited the accuracy of this reviews synthesis. Research on self-stigma in persons with bipolar disorder has been focused on different aspects, and interventions to reduce self-stigmatization have been developed, but evidence of their effectiveness is still sparse. Clinicians need to be attentive to self-stigma, its assessment, and its empowerment in their daily clinical practice. Future work is required to establish valid strategies to fight self-stigma. This course on the role of self-stigmatization in bipolar disorder is designed for social workers, professional counselors, psychologists, nurses, and substance abuse counselors who do clinical work. In addition, this course is appropriate for intermediate and advanced-level practitioners who wish to develop their knowledge of the role of self-stigmatization in bipolar disorder. The course material includes a literature review of research. It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require continuing clinical education courses for license renewal. The course is based on a journal article that includes research. It contains statistical analysis and data that some clinicians enjoy reading, and others do not. A significant benefit of reading research-based articles for continuing education is they provide practitioners with the latest findings in their field. Authors: Favre, Richard-Lepouriel Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding the role of self-stigmatization in bipolar disorder. Specifically, a professional will: Recognize characteristics of bipolar disorder and self-stigmatization. Describe the relationship between self-stigmatization and recovery in bipolar disorder. Identify key themes regarding the impact of stigma on functioning and the impact on the treatment of bipolar disorder. Citation: Favre, S., & Richard-Lepouriel, H. (2023). Self-stigma and bipolar disorder: A systematic review and best-evidence synthesis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 335, 273-288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.05.041