Bipolar Affective Disorder (BAD) is an acute mental health condition that can be fatal if not adequately addressed (Miller et al. 2018). The psychiatric disorder is manifested in patients through intermittent spells of depression and mood swings. Statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health reveal that BAD affects roughly 6 million adult Americans (Miller et al. 2018). The institute also estimates that two-thirds of individuals with this condition have at least one family member with a similar illness, denoting that the disorder has a heritable element (Miller et al. 2018). According to De Sousa Moura et al. (2019), researchers have observed that the stigma associated with this condition remains a massive challenge to nurses and mental health professionals' intervention efforts. The article "Bipolar Affective Disorder: Feelings, Stigmas, and Limitations" by de Sousa Moura et al. (2019) examined the economic and social impacts of BAD on individuals and their families. While this article generated substantial findings showing the extent of discrimination of BAD patients and subsequent challenges to their caregivers, there are shortcomings linked to sample size and methodology.
Article Summary
Researchers sampled 12 adults of between 18-60 years with Bipolar Affective Disorder and four family caregivers to examine attitudes on this condition concerning stigma in workplaces, family, and social environments. The study gathered demographic information relevant to the inquiry through interviews. Through this approach, the investigation developed insights into sociodemographic elements that affect BAD patients' experiences and family constraints. The interview sessions were recorded and transcribed in writing to facilitate a comprehensive analysis of the research findings.
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Using the Content Analysis Technique, De Sousa Moura et al. (2019) found that the caregivers faced significant difficulties in executing their routine activities when dealing with BAD patients, loneliness, and discrimination among individuals with BAD manifestations.
Findings presented in the article are useful in practice, especially in assisting family members in managing BAD patients best. The researchers addressed a central subject, as nurses and physicians attempt to enhance the patient outcomes for psychiatric cases in hospital and community settings. Specifically, the results from the study indicate the need for public health education and promotion to reduce incidents of workplace discrimination and a reduction of caregiver burden. As a health professional, these findings will allow me to improve the capacity of family members and employers to handle BAD victims with dignity and compassion through health talks.
Article Critique
The article by De Sousa Moura et al. (2019) draws essential conclusions in the clinical context of mental health issues in society. One of the key strengths of this article is a clear description of participant characteristics and interventions. According to Miller et al. (2018), bipolar disorders are first exhibited in early adulthood and progress further into old age with severe clinical symptoms. Therefore, the involvement of subjects of the ages between 18-60 years in the article was vital in producing reliable results from the inquiry. In an attempt to refine the quality of research findings, De Sousa Moura et al. (2019) controlled confounding effects from the study by eliminating participants with co-morbidities related to BAD and chemical dependence. As Ingham-Broomfield (2017) notes, this is an essential aspect of research as it eradicates variations that could negatively influence statistical analysis, leading to inaccurate results.
Despite the mentioned strengths of the article by De Sousa Moura et al. (2019), there are shortcomings to the submitted findings. First, these used sample size was small, hence not representative. The study used 12 BAD patients and four caregivers to investigate such a widespread mental health issue. While seeking to understand a certain epidemiological phenomena, Ingham-Broomfield (2017) suggests that the sample size should not be too small or too big as it directly influences research outcomes. Hence, the small sample size used by De Sousa Moura et al. (2019), in their experiment makes it problematic in generalizing these findings on a larger scale. Furthermore, all subjects in this study were from Teresina (PI), Brazil. In the realm of research, this factor also constrains these conclusions' generalizability to a larger population. While De Sousa Moura et al. (2019) claimed that the article should be duplicated extensively in other settings, the authors failed to examine how these elements of their study were weaknesses.
The authors make a commendable effort to present a reasoned piece of argument and I would recommend it to interested colleagues. The paper is well written, and the evidence organized in a manner that makes it easy to follow. Because it addresses an issue that has not received the attention it deserves, I would encourage fellow professionals to read the article as it introduces an appropriate challenge to the field.
Conclusion
Overall, this article addresses a significant issue in healthcare, as relevant stakeholders should implement strategies that seek to reduce stigmatization of Bipolar Affective Disorder in communities and burnout for home-based caregivers. Among the barriers in these efforts noted in the study include inadequate information on this condition among family members and employers. Although the article managed to add to new knowledge on the issue backed with sufficient evidence, it failed to satisfactorily provide analysis on the scope of the research question so that subsequent studies can replicate the findings in other populations. Moreover, the marginal sample size and the absence of diversity among study subjects restricted the generalizability of research conclusions. Consequently, future research in this area should consider these shortcomings to make the analysis more comprehensive and reliable.
References
De Sousa Moura, H. D., Caetano Lira, J. A., Martins Ferraz, M. M., Soares Lima, C. L., & Cruz Rocha, Â. R. (2019). BIPOLAR AFFECTIVE DISORDER: FEELINGS, STIGMAS AND LIMITATIONS. Journal of Nursing UFPE/Revista de Enfermagem UFPE , 13 .
Ingham-Broomfield, R. (2017). A nurses' guide to ethical considerations and the process for ethical approval of nursing research. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, The , 35 (1), 40.
Miller, S., Dell'Osso, B., & Ketter, T. A. (2018). The prevalence and burden of bipolar depression. Journal of affective disorders , 169 , S3-S11.
