Thousands waiting nearly 12 years for bipolar diagnosis, says study
TENS of thousands of people in Wales are waiting nearly 12 years to be diagnosed as bipolar, research has found.
A study conducted by Bipolar UK revealed the healthcare system in Wales is failing the 50,000-plus people living with bipolar, resulting in an average diagnosis delay of 11.9 years from first contact with health services. The average diagnosis time in the UK is 9.5 years.
Bipolar UK is today launching the findings of the Bipolar Commission research at The National Centre for Mental Health (NCMH) at Cardiff University which highlights UK-wide failings in the healthcare system, with Wales delivering some of the most shockingly poor levels of bipolar provision.
The Bipolar Minds Matter report was compiled by a group of 26 worldleading experts with academic, clinical and lived experience of bipolar and calls for an immediate restructure of the healthcare system in Wales to readdress systemic flaws that are failing patients living with the condition.
The report highlights the need to reduce diagnosis time and deliver a greater continuity of care, which will lead to a better quality of life for those living with bipolar, a reduction in bipolar-related suicides and a lower financial burden on taxpayers.
CEO of Bipolar UK Simon Kitchen said: “In Wales the average delay to diagnosis is two years and four months longer than it is in England.
“Imagine living with a condition for nearly 12 years without the right treatment and support – that’s what people all over Wales are having to cope with. It’s simply not good enough.
“We also want to address the fact that those living with bipolar in Wales have been found to be significantly older when they’re diagnosed – 36.1 years of age compared to the 33.6year average age in England.
“This is due to a combination of factors including social stigma surrounding the condition, people not seeing their GP when they’re experiencing hypomania or mania and a lack of specialist training around bipolar across the health sector.
“It is our mission to explain what bipolar is (and isn’t) and ensure that people living with the condition can get a quicker diagnosis to access the support they need. Then they can have long periods of stability and a much better quality of life.”
The charity is also introducing increased provision of its peer support services in Wales for anyone needing support from people affected by bipolar; and many of its resources will be translated into Welsh to improve accessibility for those living with bipolar in Wales.
Mr Kitchen added: “To reduce diagnosis time it is essential that bipolar screening is ingrained across primary and secondary services and for specialist training to be introduced across the NHS to increase the accuracy of diagnosis which is adding to significant delays.”
Bipolar is a mental illness characterised by changes in mood and energy, which go far beyond most people’s experiences of feeling a bit down or happy.