Social Stress Shapes the Lives of People with Bipolar Disorder

By Aalaa Basheer 

Most of us feel stressed about school, work, money, or family at some point in our lives. But for people living with bipolar disorders, stress can have an even bigger impact on their mental health. 

 

What is bipolar? 

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness listed in the DSM 5. People with bipolar disorder experience strong shifts in their mood and energy. They tend to go from very high to very low mood episodes. The high state is called a manic or hypomanic episode. In that episode, they have too much energy and feel irritable and unusually confident. The low state is called a major depressive episode. They feel down, tired and lose their appetite and interest in activities they usually enjoy. There are two types of bipolar disorders, bipolar I and bipolar II. Bipolar I has more severe manic episodes, while bipolar II has more severe depressive episode.  

 

Social stress and bipolar disorder 

A recent study looked at the effect of social stress on the mental health of 2,280 adults diagnosed with bipolar disorders. The researchers looked at different types of social stress. Some were about access to education and healthcare. Others were about money, housing, safety, and transportation. Also, they looked at the community they live in, like family relationships and living in an unjust society. The participants answered a questionnaire about the stress they had in the past year and how severe it was. The study found that the people who experienced more stress had worse mental health outcomes. People with high stress had more anxiety and mood shifts. Moreover, they were more likely to have alcohol or drug problems and attempt suicide. Even though bipolar disorder is related to biology, this study showed that someone’s environment also has a big impact on their health. 

 

Gender Differences 

This study discovered interesting differences between men and women in stress. The women in the study were more likely to report that they lacked family support. They had more money problems and more difficulties accessing healthcare and getting health coverage. Meanwhile, men had more problems with unemployment. When it comes to the effect of the social stress on their health, women were more likely to have problems with binge eating and more mood shifts. Women also had more suicide attempts. Men, on the other hand, were more likely to have problems with alcohol and drugs. 

 

Why this matters 

So, why do we care? It is important to understand all the factors that affect the mental and physical health of people with bipolar disorders. This study shows that supporting people with bipolar is more than just medication and therapy. We must address the real-life issues that affect their well-being and make their illness more difficult to manage. It is also essential to recognize the gender differences. Financial pressure and barriers in accessing healthcare and health coverage are not small issues. This severely affects long-term health and well-being. This research suggests that social stressors are as serious as physiological symptoms. By looking at the person as a whole, including their environment, we can provide them with the help they need. Bipolar disorder does not exist in a vacuum, it is shaped by one’s genetics, housing, employment, relationships, and society. 

Voices of Schizophrenia: The Effects of Stigma

 By: Jessica Higgs

What is Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is one of the most severe mental illnesses listed in the DSM-5. It is not common in the general population, but it is long lasting and affects people’s thinking and behaviour. Symptoms of the illness are hallucinations, delusions, disorganized “messy” speech, and trouble keeping relationships. The average age for symptoms to develop is 25, and the average age of a first hospital visit is 32. Many people see those with schizophrenia as “violent”, “dangerous”, or “incompetent.” In the United States, between 1996-2018, the belief that those with schizophrenia are dangerous went up by 10%.

Labelled, Lonely and Poorly Treated

A recent 2025 study interviewed 6 people with schizophrenia, and they were asked the question “How is social stigma viewed by people diagnosed with schizophrenia?” 5 themes were mentioned: social life, healthcare, workplace, relationships with others, and how they saw and felt about themselves. Many answers from the study included: feeling rejected, being labelled, being pushed, being hit in hospital, and trouble keeping a job. Other answers were distancing from others and feeling bad about themselves. One study participant said: “I was hit maybe because I wasn’t behaving well due to my symptoms.” Another participant said their friend did not believe them, and no longer wanted to be friends: “They didn’t understand my illness well, didn’t get it, thought I was a lazy good-for-nothing, that I couldn’t make any progress, that I was just living on this earth for nothing.”

Why Reducing is Important

A few of the ways that stigma shows up today is by treating people with schizophrenia as “dangerous” and not taking their symptoms seriously. Stigma can also show up as blaming them for their symptoms. Stigma around schizophrenia makes it more difficult for them to get treatment. This often leads to many people feeling unloved and lonely. Social stigma affects public places, such as hospitals. It is the hospital’s job to provide a safe space that is respectful and provides care. However, over 30% of patients with schizophrenia don’t receive the benefits from mental health services due to stigma and mistreatment. Reducing stigma would allow for better treatment in hospital. Rejection in friendships was a common answer that led to emotional issues and ending relationships, which can worsen patient health. Reducing stigma would allow for more close positive relationships and stronger mental health. Reducing stigma is important because it allows these people to use the support systems they need to feel their best. It also protects them from the negative feelings and experiences that can happen, such as ending relationships, painful emotions, and feeling like an outsider in the society they live in.

 

What This Means for the Future

This study shows that our view of schizophrenia is often hurtful. It also shows that stigma around schizophrenia is very hurtful to those who experience it. It is time for us to change how we view schizophrenia through a more compassionate and informed approach. We can reduce stigma through public education, which will help us have a better understand of the illness. Change should include letting go of the idea that they are always dangerous, while seeing them as capable of making progress and deserving of respect. This study reminds us that people with schizophrenia have a voice and an opinion on their own illness. Fear is one of the most common reasons people discriminate against mental illness, however these findings show that they are often more afraid of us than we are of them.