Key findings include:
- More than a million people live with bipolar in the UK
- More than five million friends and family are significantly affected by a loved one’s bipolar
- After first telling a healthcare professional about symptoms, it takes an average of 9.5 years to get a diagnosis of bipolar
- Bipolar costs the UK economy £20 billion a year – 17% of the burden of disease for mental illness
- Someone with bipolar takes their own life every day
- 10% of our community said they had attempted to take their own life in the last six months
- More than half of people with bipolar have been hospitalised due to their bipolar
- 44% of people with bipolar are obese
- People with bipolar die 10-15 years earlier than the general population
- 44% of people have experienced stigma in the workplace
July 2024
Bipolar UK presented a report based on the findings of a survey of 1000+ people in the workplace. Key findings include:
- the employment rate among people with bipolar is significantly lower than the average employment rate in the general population
- 24% of respondents hadn’t told anyone in the workplace about their diagnosis of bipolar
- three in 10 respondents who had told people in the workplace about their diagnosis of bipolar later regretted it
- 44% of respondents reported experiencing stigma because of their bipolar
- 57% of respondents reported a lack of understanding as a barrier to thriving in the workplace
Read the full ‘Bipolar in the Workplace’ report here
June 2023
Bipolar UK presented the findings of the Bipolar Commission in Wales at a lunchtime reception at the National Centre for Mental Health in Cardiff on 6 June 2023. The Commission revealed that the healthcare system in Wales is failing the 50,000+ people living with bipolar, resulting in an average diagnosis delay of 11.9 years from first telling a clinician about symptoms. The average diagnosis time in the UK is 9.5 years.
Read about the Bipolar Commission's key findings in Wales here
November 2022
Bipolar UK presented the full Bipolar Commission report at a parliamentary reception on 8 November 2022. This 'Bipolar Minds Matter' report calls for an immediate restructure of the healthcare system that is failing millions affected by bipolar, and puts forward the case for developing a dedicated care pathway so that people with bipolar can have access to specialist treatment and continuity of support over a lifetime. The full report includes the Bipolar Commissions recommendation's and two appendices: 'The impact of bipolar on women' written by Dr Clare Dolman and 'The economic impact of bipolar' written by Professor Paul McCrone.
Read a summary of the 'Bipolar Minds Matter' report
Read the full 'Bipolar Minds Matter' report
March 2022
Bipolar UK presented a second report on the findings of the Bipolar Commission on World Bipolar Day (30 March) at the annual online conference. The second report 'Hidden in Plain Sight' focuses on the lived experience of the bipolar community to paint a comprehensive picture of what it’s like living with bipolar in the UK today. What’s the journey to diagnosis? What are the treatments? What impact does the condition have on physical health? Which services are working well – and which aren’t? What’s the link between bipolar and suicide?
Read a summary of the 'Hidden in Plain Sight' report
Read the full 'Hidden in Plain Sight' report
October 2021
Bipolar UK presented the early findings of the Bipolar Commission at a parliamentary reception on 21 October 2021. The first report 'Bipolar Diagnosis Matters' focuses on what bipolar is, what triggers it, how long it takes to get a diagnosis, the impact of a delay in diagnosis and the risks of living with the condition.
Read a summary of the 'Bipolar Diagnosis Matters' report
Read the full 'Bipolar Diagnosis Matters' report
Sign our petition asking for faster bipolar diagnosis
Last updated: 9 July 2023