Bipolar Disorder

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" (DSM-IV), the main reference text for clinicians and psychiatrists, states that bipolar disorder affects males and females equally and that the first symptoms usually appear from the late teen years until the mid-30s. The author points out that the medical examination must include laboratory tests to rule out other causes of mania such as megaloblastic anemia, hyper- or hypoglycemia, systemic lupus, syphilis, HIV or liver disease. The paper relates there are three types of psychotherapy, which can reduce stress that may trigger depressive or manic episodes, especially during episodes of depression: Behavioral therapy, cognitive therapy and, interpersonal therapy.

From the Paper:

"There are several codes of ethics which impact directly on the mental health community such as the "Code of Ethics of the American Medical Association (AMA) which states that a physician ... shall safeguard a patient's confidences with the restraints of the law" and the "Ethical Principles of Psychologists which state that psychologists have a primary obligation and take reasonable precautions to respect ... confidentiality right". The essence behind all of these codes of ethics and confidentiality for patients of mental health is to build the trust the patient has in the system and not feel there is a certain sigma or association attached with the knowledge that others may know of his or her bipolar disorder or other mental illness. Patients can feel that they are still receiving the best treatment available yet still feel they are in control of the decision making process of their treatment. This must be taken into consideration within any clinical diagnostic setting from the moment the patient first arrives for treatment for his or her disorder. Legally, clinicians are bound by their confidentiality agreements with the patients and within their own associations as mentioned in the AMA guidelines. A breech of trust in confidentiality agreements are considered serious infractions and may cause a decline in a patient's treatment or mental state if medical details of a case is released without permission."

More papers on Bipolar Disorder:

• Essay # 7328 : "Anxiety Disorders and Bipolar Disorder"
• Analytical Essay # 138310 : "Bipolar Disorder"
• Article Review # 121829 : "Treating Childhood Bipolar Disorder"
• Essay # 70338 : "Bipolar Disorder"

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