This is a mental health disorder associated with episodes of mood swings ranging from depressive lows to manic highs. Bipolar disorder causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). The exact cause of bipolar disorder is not known but a combination of genetics, environment and altered brain structure and chemistry may play a role.
Occupational Therapy (OT) intervention strategies can be separated into three categories:
1. Self-care intervention strategies: some common self-care goals include, re-establishing sleep routines, acquiring coping skills, and improving medication compliance, healthy eating and exercise habits.
2. Productivity intervention strategies: people who recently experienced an acute episode of depression or mania are likely to experience a disruption in their activities as students, volunteers, and employees. The most important roles for OT includes: help clients maintain hope in their ability to return to work, help increase self-awareness, provide support at the workplace, etc.
3. Leisure intervention strategies: some common leisure goals in bipolar disorder include: individual or group involvement in sports, arts, music, reading, computers, and socializing with friends. OTs help their clients change their thinking to gain confidence and choose leisure activities that are meaningful and motivating. OTs organize and run groups to improve interpersonal skills as well as to connect clients to groups already existing in the community.