Bipolar Disorder Racial Statistics in the UK

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Definition of Bipolar Disorder According to the UK Psychiatry

In order to maintain academic objectivity, it is necessary to define the terms of mental health problems and bipolar disorder in UK psychiatry. Mind (2020) argues that mental health problems are a generic term for “depression and anxiety” and “schizophrenia and bipolar disorder” (para. 3). Bipolar UK charity organisation (n.d.) states that bipolar disorder is “a severe mental health condition characterised by significant mood swings including manic highs and depressive lows” (para. 1) In addition, Bipolar UK organisation provides population statistics on the number of people with this mental disorder. It is possible to note that there is also comparative statistics of the incidence of bipolar disorder to other severe and chronic illnesses. The authors of both web pages also describe the processes of diagnosis for bipolar disorder, the possible outcomes for the patients, and how it affects people’s everyday life.

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder According to the UK Psychiatry

An important point is also to mention what UK psychiatry considers the primary symptoms of bipolar disorder. The Mind (2020) organisation believes that the main conventional signs of this condition are manic and depressive episodes, hypomanic episodes, and following their psychotic symptoms. The authors of the webpage also describe how people with this mental disorder live and advise how their loved ones can help them.

Leading Causes of Bipolar Disorder in the UK Psychiatry Terminology

It is also important to mention the leading causes of the development of bipolar disorder according to official data of the National Health Service (NHS). The organisation denies that there is a single trigger for this condition (NHS, 2019). Instead, they suggest that the cause of bipolar disorder is a combination of physical, social, and environmental factors. According to the NHS (2019), these factors are features of genetic heredity, changes in the chemical balance and processes in the brain, and a frequent stressful state (NHS, 2019). A stress state is usually caused by physical illnesses, sleep disturbances, and daily problems.

The Increased Rates of Bipolar Disorder in Black People Compared to White People in the UK

Several studies indicate increased bipolar disorder in Black people compared to white people in the UK. One such academic research is the work of Iwagami et al. The authors’ objective was to find a correlation between chronic kidney disease and severe mental illness, therefore, during the study, they also performed a population analysis. According to the results approved by the researchers, the proportions of Black ethnicity among the category of patients with severe mental illness exceed white ethnicity (Iwagami et al., 2018). The authors used comparative methodology and logistic regression in their work, and UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink as a key source (Iwagami et al., 2018). Researchers conclude that patients with severe mental disorders are more likely to have chronic kidney disease, which may be due to frequent medical testing procedures.

Baker’s briefing paper also confirms the statement about the increased incidence of bipolar disorder in Black people. The author of this work analyses data and statistics on mental health in the UK, covering the period over the past few years (Baker, 2020). The researcher also compares the current report with the results of similar papers from 2014 and 2017 (Baker, 2020). The study covers many different population indicators such as age, gender, ethnicity and other characteristics (Baker, 2020). Baker notes that Black people are “20% more likely than average to have accessed services in 2018/19” (Baker, 2020, p. 13). Moreover, the researcher concludes that the number of people with bipolar disorder has increased on average, especially among young women.

Majors, Carberry, and Ransaw also agrees in their book that the incidence of bipolar disorder among Black people is higher than among white citizens of the UK. To be more precise, the researcher claims that the comparative risk of the appearance of the condition is 1.4 over the past 20 years (Majors et al., 2020). The author notes wrote this work to help future and novice Black medical professionals (Ransaw et al., 2020). The researcher begins his research from the fifties of the last century in his book (Ransaw et al., 2020). According to the author, one of the critical features of this phenomenon is institutional racism.

Reasons for the Increased Rates of Bipolar Disorder in Black People in the UK

In the course of a review of academic work, the question arises as to why the rates of Black people with bipolar disorder are proportionally becoming higher compared to the white population. Bignall, Jeraj, Helsby and Butt (2019) believe that social and environmental factors serve as an additional trigger. These terms imply difficulties during migration, a cultural barrier in mental health institutions, cultural naivety and the criminal environment in ghettos (Bignall et al., 2019). Researchers also examine in detail the differences in the approach to the treatment of the mental health disorders of Black Migrants and Black British compared to other ethnic groups.

Another important cause of ethnic imbalance in bipolar disorder is systematic racism in mental health institutions. Palmer (2018) claims this in the thesis regarding this topic. According to the author, systematic racism is expressed in the form of lower access, treatment received and the outcome of mental health services (Palmer, 2018). The researcher, guided by a questionnaire, descriptive statistics, thematic analysis and interviews, found that only two of the respondents adhere to professional ethics of equality. The researcher also notes such secondary factors as workforce race inequality and unstandardised processes.

Mercer et al. conducted a similar study on ethnic equality in British mental health facilities. They argue that Black people have less access to mental health facilities than white people, even though Black people are proportionally more likely to suffer from mental disorders (Mercer et al., 2019). It is also important to note that the authors of this work were guided by Trust data (Mercer et al., 2019). The authors do not put forward the idea that the cause is systematic racism, but they state that a study of causal relationships is necessary.

Conclusion

The primary objective of this review was to review the academic and government sources related to the increased rates of bipolar disorder in Black people compared to white people in the UK. The author of this literary review has reviewed how UK psychiatry and the healthcare system define the terms of mental health problems, bipolar disorders, and symptoms of this condition. The specialists’ community opinions on the causes of this illness were also analysed. Based on academic sources, the author found out that the phenomenon under study exists in British society. Several researchers claim that the reason for this is systematic racism.

Reference List

Baker, C. (2020) Mental health statistics for England: prevalence, services and funding. London: House of Commons Library.

Bipolar UK. (n.d.) bipolar – the facts. 2020. Web.

Bignall, T., Jeraj, S., Helsby, E., & Butt, J. (2019) Racial disparities in mental health: literature and evidence review. London: Race Equality Foundation.

Iwagami, M., Mansfield, K. E., Hayes, J. F., Walters, K., Osborn, D. P., Smeeth, L., Nitsch D., & Tomlinson, L. A. (2018) ‘Severe mental illness and chronic kidney disease: a cross-sectional study in the United Kingdom’, Clinical Epidemiology, 10, pp. 421–429.

Mercer, L., Evans, L. J., Turton, R., & Beck, A. (2019) ‘Psychological therapy in secondary mental health care: Access and outcomes by ethnic group’, Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 6(2), pp. 419-426.

Mind. (2020) Bipolar disorder. Web.

Mind. (2020) Mental health problems – an introduction. Web.

NHS. (2019) Causes. Web.

Majors, R., Carberry, K., & Ransaw, T. (eds.). (2020) The international handbook of black community mental health. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing.

Palmer, P. (2018) What are adult mental health services doing to improve the outcomes for Black service users? A mixed method analysis of Black Psychologists’ perspectives and UK mental health Trust data. DClinPsy Thesis. University of East London. Web.

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