Bipolar Disorder Daily News Blog

Bipolar disorder takes twice depression's toll in workplace

Research Suggests that Productivity lags even after mood lifts Bipolar disorder costs twice as much in lost productivity as major depressive disorder, a study funded by the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has found. Each U.S. worker with bipolar disorder averaged 65.5 lost workdays in a year, compared to 27.2 for major depression. Even though major depression is more than six times as prevalent, bipolar disorder costs the U.S. workplace nearly half as much -- a disproportionately high $14.1 billion annually. Researchers traced the higher toll mostly to bipolar disorder's more severe depressive episodes Read more...

Disclosing Bipolar Disorder to an Employer

Determining whether to disclose your bipolar disorder to an employer can be a difficult decision to make. As Dr.Miklowitz states, those with bipolar disorder usually pick one of four options: "-Tell everyone about the condition, including the boss and co-workers. -Tell one or more trusted co-workers who don't hold positions of authority. -Don't tell anyone, but admit to having a bipolar disorder on any work-sponsored health insurance claims, opening the possibility that the employer may find out. -Don't tell anyone at work, and don't use your employer-provided health insurance to cover treatment costs." Of course, under the Americans with Disabilities Read more...

Friendship House, Employment, & Bipolar Disorder

Desire to work strong in many of the (psychiatrically disabled); Programs exist to help them achieve that goal A new article discusses the Friendship House. Located in New Jersey, the Friendship House, is a non-profit center which helps the psychiatrically disabled with employment. Such centers seem valuable considering the difficulties psychiatrically disabled people face while attempting to get a job. The center "offers behavioral health services, vocational training and employment support." A large number of the Friendship House's clients have disabilites such as schizoffective disorder, bipolar disorder, and depression. Despite their different disabilities, most clients share the common goal of Read more...

Pilots & Bipolar Disorder

U.S. Says 46 Pilots Lied To Obtain Their Licenses Recently, the news has covered the case of 46 pilots who are being charged by prosecutors for "lying to federal authorities to obtain airplane licenses." This coverage is relevant to not only bipolar disorder but also to other mood or brain disorders. The pilots are being accussed of hiding "debilitating illnesses" which, if revealed would have "kept them (the pilots) grounded." The pilots, who were indicted this week by grand juries in the eastern and northern federal districts of California, were identified during an 18-month criminal air traffic safety investigation by Read more...