Bipolar Education Programme
Programme Coordinator: Ms Sinead Boland, Clinical Nurse Specialist
This is the only specialty programme for Bipolar Disorder in the Republic of Ireland.
The mission of the bipolar education programme is to provide psychoeducation,peer support and facilitate insight for those living with bipolar affective disorder and therefore promote wellbeing and reduce the risk of relapse.
The aims of the programme are to:
- Educate patients about Bipolar Disorder and Treatment Approaches
- Teach methods of recognising and monitoring the occurrence and severity of mood swings and generate appropriate response plans.
- Promote treatment concordance and a collaborative approach to care involving the patient, treatment team and family members.
- To support adjustment to living with a recurring illness and the need for longterm medications.
The programme is delivered by a clinical nurse specialist, a consultant psychiatrist, a psychiatric registrar and a family therapist and runs over a four week cycle. The programme involves a series of lectures, group discussions and video presentations. Symptom identification, developing plans to maintain wellness and to prevent relapse, education about treatments and day-to-day coping strategies are key elements of this programme. The service is designed for patients over the age of sixteen diagnosed with bipolar disorder and who are inpatients or attending the daycare service at St. Patrick's Hospital.