Hoppe, I;
Watson, S;
Ahuja, N;
Azim, L;
Cipriani, A;
Clark, E;
Evans, J;
... Chew-Graham, C; + view all
(2025)
Reducing the Delay in the Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder: A Qualitative Study.
Health Expectations
, 28
(4)
, Article ARTN e70398. 10.1111/hex.70398.
Preview |
Text
Hoppe et al 2025 Reducing the Delay in the Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder A Qualitative Study.pdf - Published Version Download (507kB) | Preview |
Abstract
Introduction: Patients living with bipolar disorder in the UK face, on average, a delay of 9.5 years from initial presentation of symptoms to confirmation of diagnosis. The aim of this qualitative study was to understand the challenges and facilitators involved in diagnosing individuals with BD from the perspectives of GPs and psychiatrists and how the delay in diagnosis of BD from the first presentation might be reduced. Methods: Semi-structured interviews with clinicians (GPs and psychiatrists) were used to explore attitudes and perspectives towards diagnosing, managing, and accessing or delivering specialist opinion for BD within the current NHS systems and pathways. Thematic analysis was conducted. Results: GPs report a lack of confidence in identifying BD due to limited understanding of the condition, resources, and lack of continuity of care. Both primary and secondary care clinicians expressed frustrations with the referral pathway in relation to high thresholds for secondary care acceptance and long waiting times for assessments. Clinicians suggest that further education and training in primary care supported by psychometric tools and mood diaries to improve identification of BD. Clinicians also advocated for enhanced communication and collaboration between primary and secondary care to streamline and reduce delays in the diagnostic process. Conclusion: We suggest a number of strategies which could reduce the harmful delay in diagnosis of bipolar. Patient or Public Contribution: A Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP) was convened with the support of the McPin Foundation. LEAP members have contributed towards the development of public-facing documents, including the topic guides, qualitative data analysis and dissemination of findings.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Reducing the Delay in the Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder: A Qualitative Study |
| Location: | England |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1111/hex.70398 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.70398 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2025 The Author(s). Health Expectations published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd |
| Keywords: | Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Health Care Sciences & Services, Health Policy & Services, Public, Environmental & Occupational Health, bipolar disorder, diagnosis, patient journey, primary care, secondary care, SPECTRUM DISORDER, PERCEPTIONS, PREVALENCE, IMPACT, COST |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Division of Psychiatry |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10215666 |
Archive Staff Only
 |
View Item |
