Cultural aspects of bipolar disorder: Interpersonal meaning for clients & psychiatric nurses

Bipolar disorder is a complicated mental illness to diagnose and treat. The symptoms of the disorder cause a multitude of fluctuations in mood and behavior, affecting the way individuals function and interact with others on a daily basis. Individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder experience symptoms within a framework that is grounded in their cultural beliefs, values, and norms. Culture is a complex and personal biopsychosocial phenomenon that provides meaning within life for an individual, a group, or a community. It is essential that psychiatric-mental health (PMH) nurses understand the role of culture and integrate this knowledge into the biopsychosocial care of clients. The development and maintenance of the interpersonal therapeutic relationship between PMH nurses and their clients requires the use of a cultural framework, which refers to the connection of culture and cultural competence. The purposes of this article are to define culture and the process of cultural competence, provide a brief overview of bipolar disorder, propose the use of a cultural framework for bipolar disorder, and discuss the implications for PMH nurses who care for culturally and ethnically diverse clients.