Caring for older adults with bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is a recurrent, chronic mental illness that has a profound impact on the lives of patients and their families and may require extensive use of mental health services. Although bipolar disorder is often considered an illness of young people, the disorder is being recognized as more common in older adults than previously thought. Much more research needs to be done to understand the impact of aging on the course and treatment of bipolar disorder. Evidence-based interventions for treatment of this disorder in older adults must be developed. Mental health nurses can play a key role in enhancing medication adherence, implementing structured psychosocial interventions, and carrying out research to enhance diagnosis and treatment of older adults with bipolar disorder.