World of Psychology

Stigmatizing Bipolar Disorder

By John M. Grohol, PsyD
Founder & Editor-in-Chief

Mindelle Jacobs over at the Edmonton Sun has written a well-timed column reminding the world that while occasionally people with a mental illness, such as bipolar disorder, commit a violent crime, there is no statistical link between having a mental illness and committing a violent crime.

There is a link between substance abuse and crime, however (and substance abuse is considered a mental disorder, but in a completely different category than bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or depressoin).

The recent high-profile case of a Grande Prairie nurse with bipolar disorder who drugged her co-workers has the unfortunate potential to stigmatize the mentally ill.

Combine a crime that terrorized hospital staff with a mental ailment that isn’t well understood, and you risk undermining efforts to educate the public about mental illness.

Source: Stigmatizing bipolar disorder


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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 18 Sep 2006
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.

APA Reference
Grohol, J. (2006). Stigmatizing Bipolar Disorder. Psych Central. Retrieved on May 25, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2006/09/18/stigmatizing-bipolar-disorder/

 

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