March 30 is the International Day of Bipolar Disorder on the occasion of the birth of Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh, who was posthumously diagnosed with this disease. The objective is to sensitize the community, to break down stigmas that often make the daily life of the people who carry it difficult and that, as expressed in Van Gogh’s work and biography, relegates them to isolation and loneliness.
Bipolar Disorder is a serious, recurrent and chronic mental illness characterized by mood swings that alternate with periods of euthymia (term used to refer to a normal mood, neither depressed nor elevated). It is estimated that in our country it affects 2.2% of the population and its precise diagnosis can take between 3 and 12 years. In 2013, it was integrated into the Explicit Health Guarantees (GES) program, considering its impact on people’s quality of life, the possibility of integration into the world of work, the maintenance of positive interpersonal and family relationships, and the socioeconomic and health burden involved.
Undoubtedly, the GES Bipolarity program has contributed to early diagnosis, timely treatment and access to effective medications for the reduction of symptoms and maintenance of euthymic status. However, even when psychological interventions have been considered at the individual and family levels, the development of programs with a psychosocial focus remains important. An example of this is peer support groups, such as those organized by the Círculo Polar Foundation. Evidence from other countries argues that they protect against stigma, improve self-esteem, self-efficacy, hope and motivation. Together, they remove the barriers that often prevent access to treatments, even if they are available.
It is necessary to assume then, as health professionals, researchers in mental health and as trainers, the task of generating the conditions for the development of opportunities for support and promotion of psychosocial well-being, as one of many ways to support as a society the citizens who carry the diagnosis of bipolarity.
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