Social relationships
Most participants identified that bipolar disorder had a
significant impact on their child’s social relationships. This
was described primarily as (1) a lack of confidence and (2)
a sense of alienation from peers.
Table 1
Parent-reported age of onset of depression in child
Age range n % Cumulative %
19 years 11 13.1 86.9
Table 2
Parent-reported age of onset of mania in child
Age range n % Cumulative %
19 years 21 26.3 76.3
M. Crowe et al.
344 © 2011 Blackwell Publishing
Lack of confidence
• Her teenage years were interrupted by BP [bipolar
disorder]; she has lost confidence to interact with her
peers. She is unaware of social norms and has a heightened
sense of humiliation/shame and embarrassment.
She is paralysed by her perceived inadequacies and feels
very isolated.
Most parents identified that bipolar disorder had
affected their child’s confidence, and for some this led to
self-consciousness and embarrassment related to a sense of
not being as good as others.