Disrupted Relatedness and Shifting Perceptions of Others: Changing Moods Over Time for People Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder

Authors

Joanna Farr, Birkbeck University of London, United KingdomFollow
Jonathan A. Smith, Birkbeck University of London, United KingdomFollow
John E. Rhodes, Birkbeck University of London, United KingdomFollow

Abstract

For people diagnosed with bipolar disorder, the relationship between mood episodes and interpersonal life is critical. Yet little is known about how their experience of other people changes during and between episodes of depression and mania. This longitudinal study aimed to investigate the experience of interpersonal change during depression, mania and euthymia (stability). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three women at two time points and were analysed using longitudinal interpretative phenomenological analysis. One longitudinal theme, “Changing sense of others impacts relatedness,” demonstrates profound changes in participants’ experiences of other people within and between episodes. During depression, participants experienced other people as critical and threatening, making interactions impossible, whereas during mania they felt liberated from the expectations of others, who were seen as either subservient or irrelevant. For some participants, interpersonal disruption persisted during euthymia, making social interactions challenging. The findings highlight distinct forms of disrupted relatedness during depression and mania which were cumulative, impacting participants’ ability to relate to others and reconnect during stable periods. This points to the clinical value of those affected by bipolar disorder gaining insight into their trajectory of interpersonal change, along with a focus on rebuilding relationships and relational connection during euthymic phases.

Keywords

bipolar disorder; interpersonal; bipolar episodes; longitudinal; qualitative

Author Bio(s)

Joanna Farr (Corresponding Author; ORCID: 0000-0003-3263-8773; X: @FarrJoanna) is a lecturer in psychology at Birkbeck, University of London. Her research is focused on early intervention for people diagnosed with bipolar disorder and young people’s emotional wellbeing, with a particular focus on using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), visual and longitudinal methods to express temporal experiences. She is a member of the IPA research group and the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Mental Health steering group, which are both based at Birkbeck. Please direct correspondence to Joanna.farr@bbk.ac.uk

Jonathan A Smith is professor of psychology at Birkbeck, University of London. He has developed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) as a particular experiential qualitative methodology and used it to examine many issues in physical and mental health. At Birkbeck he leads the IPA research group and teaches qualitative methods at all levels.

John Rhodes currently provides outpatient therapy for a private psychiatric hospital in London; he is also a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire, and an Honorary Research Fellow at Birkbeck, University of London. His previous work was as a consultant clinical psychologist in community mental health teams and most recently as a lead psychologist for an early intervention service. He has published numerous articles and four books concerning psychosis, depression, trauma and therapy.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all participants for sharing their experiences with the research team. Statements and Declarations: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Funding statement: No funding was received for this study.

Publication Date

1-7-2025

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2024.7633

Recommended APA Citation

Farr, J., Smith, J. A., & Rhodes, J. E. (2024). Disrupted relatedness and shifting perceptions of others: Changing moods over time for people diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The Qualitative Report, 29(11), 2950-2963. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2024.7633

ORCID ID

0000-0003-3263-8773