These parents identified that a consequence of the onset
of bipolar disorder was an inability to function at school
and an inability to fulfil their potential.
Contributors/precipitants to the development of
bipolar disorder
This category emerged unprompted by the questionnaire.
It appeared that when parents were asked ‘Is there anything
else you want to tell us?’, they used the opportunity
to describe what they thought had occurred to contribute
to or precipitate the onset of bipolar disorder. This
seemed to be a way in which the parents had attempted
to attribute meaning to their child’s experiences. These
meanings were categorized under the following headings:
(1) childhood adversity; (2) parenting; and (3) substance
misuse.