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Social support and relationship satisfaction in bipolar disorder
Grace B Boyers1, Lorelei Simpson Rowe1
1Department of Psychology, Southern Methodist University.
Summary
Social support boosts relationship satisfaction for individuals with bipolar disorder (BPD) and their partners. This support and satisfaction appear to be mutually beneficial week-to-week.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Social support is linked to well-being, especially from intimate partners.
- Individuals with bipolar disorder (BPD) often face relationship challenges and inadequate support.
- Limited research exists on social support and relationship quality in couples where one partner has BPD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between social support and relationship satisfaction in couples with BPD.
- To examine the reciprocal relationship between support and satisfaction over time.
- To understand the role of social support in relationship quality for BPD couples.
Main Methods:
- Weekly diary study design.
- Involved 38 married or cohabiting couples (at least one year).
- One partner met diagnostic criteria for BPD; couples completed up to 26 weekly diaries measuring social support, relationship satisfaction, and psychiatric symptoms.
Main Results:
- Higher average social support correlated with higher average relationship satisfaction for both partners.
- Increased social support in a given week predicted higher relationship satisfaction that week.
- Greater relationship satisfaction also predicted increased social support, indicating a reciprocal relationship.
- These associations remained significant even after controlling for mood symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Social support is a significant factor in maintaining relationship satisfaction for couples where one partner has BPD.
- A reciprocal relationship exists between social support and relationship satisfaction.
- Interventions aimed at enhancing social support may improve relationship quality in BPD relationships.
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