Content warning. This page and video mention suicide and the loss of a child.

Can you help us to get the urgent issues of bipolar diagnosis and suicide talked about in Parliament?

Join our campaign by emailing or tweeting your MP today. 

You can follow our suggested step-by-step guide below.

Why your support is vital

If you are in crisis, you can find sources of support here and our suicide prevention resources here

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Take action now to save bipolar lives 

Nine-and-a-half years to get a bipolar diagnosis is too long. People living with undiagnosed bipolar are at risk of losing their jobs, relationships, homes and lives during this lost decade (1).  

Research estimates as many as one in five people with bipolar take their own lives (2, 3). One of the many reasons behind this shocking statistic may be the long delay to diagnosis (4-7). Another key factor is that there isn’t a specialist care pathway for people with bipolar (8) which would speed up diagnosis and save bipolar lives.  

'The time to make changes is now. I implore you to pledge your support and join us as a change maker.' Professor Guy Goodwin, Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry, University of Oxford and co-chair of The Bipolar Commission

Help #savebipolarlives by messaging your local MP today.

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Email your MP to save bipolar lives

1. Click on the button above to find an email template for you to send to your local Member of Parliament.
2. You can find your local MP’s email address here
3. Please be polite, concise and to the point.
4. We’ve suggested some key messages in the email template for you to include. If you feel comfortable, adding in your own words and sharing your own experience will make even more impact. Copied-and-pasted identical messages may not get a response.
5. Only write to your local MP. If you email an MP who’s not in your area, your message will be ignored.  
6. When you get a response, please tell us via [email protected]

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Tweet your MP to save bipolar lives 

1. Copy and paste the text below and click on the button above to send a tweet to your local Member of Parliament.
2. You can find your local MP Twitter tag here

As many as 1 in 5 people with bipolar take their own lives. @INSERTMPTAGHERE please write to Rt Hon Maria Caulfield MP to ask how the Government will commit to speed up diagnosis and prioritise bipolar in the implementation of their suicide prevention strategy #savebipolarlives

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 Sign our ongoing petition to save bipolar lives 

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Email template

Here is a template with key messages. 

Please copy and paste it in an email to your local Member of Parliament. 

Adding in your own words and sharing your own experience will make even more impact.

Suggested email subject line: Save bipolar lives

Dear [INSERT YOUR MP’s NAME HERE], 

I live in [INSERT YOUR VILLAGE/TOWN/CONSTITUENCY]. I am emailing to ask you to raise the issues of bipolar diagnosis and suicide with the Minister for Mental Health. Saving bipolar lives matters to me because [IF YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE, INSERT A SHORT DESCRIPTION OF YOUR LIVED EXPERIENCE OR EXPLAIN WHY YOU CARE ABOUT PEOPLE AFFECTED BY BIPOLAR HERE].  

The Bipolar Commission found that it’s taking an average of 9.5 years to get a diagnosis of bipolar and 36% of people in our community tell us they attempted suicide because of the delay.  

As a member of your constituency, I am asking you to write to the Mental Health Minister, Rt Hon Maria Caulfield MP, to ask her to explain the following:  

1. How the Government will commit to making it a priority to reduce the delay to bipolar diagnosis down to five years within five years to save bipolar lives
2. How the Government will commit to prioritising bipolar in the implementation of their suicide prevention strategy to save bipolar lives

As my MP, I am also asking you to consider raising these urgent issues in Parliament by asking Parliamentary Questions.

Research suggests one in five people with bipolar will end up taking their own life. One of the many reasons behind this shocking statistic is the long delay to diagnosis. Another key factor is that there is not a specialist care pathway for bipolar which would speed up diagnosis and save bipolar lives. We need your support and urgent action now.  

If you or your team would like more details about this issue, please email [email protected] 

I look forward to hearing from you. 

Yours sincerely, 
 
[INSERT YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS] 

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References

1. Scott J, Leboyer M. Consequences of delayed diagnosis of bipolar disorders. L'encephale. 2011;37:S173-S5. 
2. Plans L, Barrot C, Nieto E, Rios J, Schulze T, Papiol S, et al. Association between completed suicide and bipolar disorder: a systematic review of the literature. Journal of affective disorders. 2019;242:111-22. 
3. Miller JN, Black DW. Bipolar disorder and suicide: a review. Current psychiatry reports. 2020;22:1-10. 
4. Keramatian K, Pinto JV, Schaffer A, Sharma V, Beaulieu S, Parikh SV, et al. Clinical and demographic factors associated with delayed diagnosis of bipolar disorder: data from health outcomes and patient evaluations in bipolar disorder (HOPE-BD) study. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2022;296:506-13. 
5. Humpston CS, Bebbington P, Marwaha S. Bipolar disorder: Prevalence, help-seeking and use of mental health care in England. Findings from the 2014 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey. Journal of affective disorders. 2021;282:426-33. 
6. Ahmed GK, Elbeh K, Khalifa H, Samaan MR. Impact of duration of untreated illness in bipolar I disorder (manic episodes) on clinical outcome, socioecnomic burden in Egyptian population. Psychiatry Research. 2021;296:113659. 
7. Agius M, Murphy CL, Zaman R. Under-diagnosis of bipolar affective disorder in A bedford CMHT. Psychiatria Danubina. 2010;22(suppl 1.):36-7. 
8. Iacobucci G. Bipolar disorder lacks specialist support in UK, report finds. British Medical Journal Publishing Group; 2022.

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Last updated: 10 October 2023