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Sagar, Nathalie

University of British Columbia

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a potentially severe and recurrent mental illness that impacts not only the individual but also their social and familial systems (Miklowitz, 2008). It is one of the most genetically mediated mental illnesses, and research has illustrated an expansive list of adverse outcomes for children of individuals with BD (Post & Levrich, 2007). Thus, the children of individuals with BD are dually vulnerable. Despite this, little research has explored the lives of those who experience intergenerational BD. This study sought to explore these experiences to provide nuance and context to the existing literature and ‘misery statistics’ about intergenerational BD. Five adults with a BD diagnosis, who are the genetic children of an individual with BD, shared their stories. Each participant’s interview was re-storied, and a cross-narrative analysis was conducted. Cross-narrative analysis identified that participants used the narrative structure of a ‘journey’ to make sense of their experiences. Four key themes were identified: communion (isolation), agency (powerlessness), identity (confusion), and ‘be the best that you can.’ The findings highlight both the advantages and the hardships associated with intergenerational BD. Identifying and exploring where the existing variability lies within these experiences contributes to an emerging understanding of how to support best those living within family systems with a family member(s) living with BD

Text

2024-07-08

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/88600

School and Applied Child Psychology

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/