Pictures speak a thousand words: Using photo-elicitation and IPA to explore men’s experience of mood management following a diagnosis of Bipolar disorder

This thesis aims to further develop our understanding of what it is like
to live with, and manage, a diagnosis of Bipolar disorder.
Paper one presents a thematic synthesis of 13 qualitative research
studies exploring people’s experiences of living with the symptoms and
diagnostic label, published between 2010 and 2019. Each of the 13 studies
were critically appraised before results were synthesised. The findings are
discussed with particular consideration of the implications for clinical
practice. Recommendations for future research, including methods of
improving the quality of research in this area, are presented.
Paper two presents an empirical study exploring men’s experiences of
managing mood symptoms. Photo-elicitation methods were used to guide
semi-structured interviews, and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
was used to analyse the resulting transcripts. Four super-ordinate themes
were identified: (1) ‘managing symptoms: living with the enemy’ (2) ‘we’re
managing more than mood episodes’ (3) ‘managing goes beyond a list of
strategies’ and (4) ‘medication is a necessary evil’. Particular attention is
again paid to the clinical implications of the findings.
Paper three is an executive summary of the empirical paper. It has
been written to be accessible by practitioners and service users alike and is
intended to support the dissemination of findings to study participants and
supporting organisations.