The Bipolar Commission

The launch of the Bipolar Commission

The Bipolar Commission was launched at our first online conference on World Bipolar Day (30 March 2021).

Its aims? To reduce the risk of suicide and to transform healthcare for people living with bipolar.

The Commission brought together 22 commissioners who represent a broad cross-section of the bipolar professional and lived-experience community with a balance of ages, ethnicities, sexualities, gender identities and geographic locations. Professional experts include healthcare economists, leading academics, therapists and frontline clinicians, including psychiatrists and GPs. Nearly all the Commissioners either live with bipolar or have a close family member with it.

The Commission is co-chaired by Professor Guy Goodwin, Emeritus Professor at Oxford University, and Dr Clare Dolman, a patient participation lead at King’s College London, who is herself living with bipolar. The secretariat has been provided by Bipolar UK.

The Commission's research methodology has included a look at the current literature, stakeholder and patient interviews and a series of comprehensive online surveys of the community.

The Bipolar Commission is about mobilisation: to provide a common goal and a route forward towards achieving it. We are determined to get the voices of our community heard by decision makers and the wider public at large.

Who is involved in the Bipolar Commission?

The Commissioners include a range of people - academics, healthcare professionals and people with lived experience of bipolar.

The Bipolar Commission Project Board

  • Professor Guy Goodwin – Co-chair and Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford
  • Dr Clare Dolman* – Co-chair and a patient participation lead at King’s College London
  • Professor Allan Young – Psychiatrist and Bipolar UK Trustee
  • Professor Ian Jones - Psychiatrist and Field researcher for the Commission
  • Simon Kitchen - CEO, Bipolar UK and Project Sponsor

Commissioners

  • Dr Thomas Richardson* – Clinical Psychologist, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of Southampton
  • Professor Femi Oyebode – Psychiatrist, University of Birmingham
  • Professor Paul McCrone – Professor of Healthcare Economics, Greenwich University
  • Dr Trudi Seneviratne, OBE – Consultant Adult/Perinatal Psychiatrist, Clinical Director South London & Maudsley NHS, Registrar Royal College of Psychiatrists
  • Professor Tania Gergel* – Director of Research, Bipolar UK
  • Dr Daniel Dietch – GP, Lonsdale Medical Practice
  • Professor Swaran Singh – Professor of Social and Community Psychiatry, Warwick University
  • Dr Aditya Sharma – Clinical Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Newcastle University
  • Professor Steven Marwaha – Consultant Psychiatrist, Birmingham University, who runs the Mood Disorders Clinic in Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Trust
  • Dr Julie Anderson – Consultant Psychiatrist, Belfast NHS Community Trust
  • Mohini Morris* – Bipolar UK Trustee
  • Luyando Malawo* – online influencer
  • Leah Milner* – freelance financial journalist
  • Natasha Naomi Rea* – actress and author
  • April Kelley* – actress and producer
  • Nicky Chinn* – songwriter and record producer
  • Suky Singh* – psychology student and Bipolar UK Peer Support Group co-facilitator, Birmingham
  • Jackie Dix* – freelance researcher, Wales
  • Emma Jayne Hickman* – social media influencer, Northern Ireland

*has lived experience of bipolar

    Key findings of the Bipolar Commission

    • More than a million people live with bipolar in the UK
    • More than five million friends and family are significantly affected by a loved one’s bipolar
    • Over half of people living with bipolar (56%) don’t have a diagnosis
    • After first telling a healthcare professional about symptoms, it takes an average of 9.5 years to get a diagnosis of bipolar
    • Bipolar costs the UK economy £20 billion a year – 17% of the burden of disease for mental illness
    • Someone with bipolar takes their own life every day
    • 10% of our community said they had attempted to take their own life in the last six months
    • More than half of people with bipolar have been hospitalised due to their bipolar
    • 44% of people with bipolar are obese
    • People with bipolar die 10-15 years earlier than the general population
    • 44% of people have experienced stigma in the workplace
    56%

    of people living with bipolar don't have a diagnosis

    10%

    said they had attempted to take their own life in the last six months

    44%

    of people have experienced stigma in the workplace

    July 2024

    In July 2024, Bipolar UK presented a report based on the findings of a survey of 1000+ people in the workplace. Key findings include:

    • the employment rate among people with bipolar is significantly lower than the average employment rate in the general population
    • 24% of respondents hadn’t told anyone in the workplace about their diagnosis of bipolar
    • three in 10 respondents who had told people in the workplace about their diagnosis of bipolar later regretted it
    • 44% of respondents reported experiencing stigma because of their bipolar
    • 57% of respondents reported a lack of understanding as a barrier to thriving in the workplace

    Building a bipolar-friendly workplace

    pdf843.5kb

    Published in June 2024, this report looks at how we can build bipolar-friendly workplaces, barriers to employment, challenges in the workplace and puts forward recommendations for change.

    Download Bipolar Commission Workplace July 2024 (843.5kb)

    November 2022

    Bipolar UK presented the full Bipolar Commission report at a parliamentary reception on 8 November 2022.

    This 'Bipolar Minds Matter' report calls for an immediate restructure of the healthcare system that is failing millions of people affected by bipolar. The report also puts forward the case for developing a dedicated care pathway so that people with bipolar can have access to specialist treatment and continuity of support over a lifetime.

    The full report includes the Bipolar Commissions recommendation's and two appendices: 'The impact of bipolar on women' written by Dr Clare Dolman and 'The economic impact of bipolar' written by Professor Paul McCrone.

    Bipolar Minds Matter - Full Report

    pdf1.6mb

    Published in November 2022, this report calls for quicker diagnosis and specialist support for everyone with bipolar.

    Download Bipolar Minds Matter November 2022 - full report (1.6mb)

    Bipolar Minds Matter - Summary

    pdf175.6kb

    A summary of the Bipolar Minds Matter report, published in June 2024

    Download Bipolar Minds Matter November 2022 - summary (175.6kb)


    March 2022

    Bipolar UK presented a second report on the findings of the Bipolar Commission on World Bipolar Day (30 March 2022) at the annual online conference.

    The second report 'Hidden in Plain Sight' focuses on the lived experience of the bipolar community to paint a comprehensive picture of what it’s like living with bipolar in the UK today.

    What’s the journey to diagnosis? What are the treatments? What impact does the condition have on physical health? Which services are working well – and which aren’t? What’s the link between bipolar and suicide?

    Hidden in Plain Sight - Full report

    pdf554.1kb

    Published in March 2022, this report looks at the prevalence of bipolar in the UK, triggers, diagnosis, medication, support, suicide prevention and more.

    Download Hidden in Plain Sight March 2022 - full report (554.1kb)

    Hidden in Plain Sight - Summary

    pdf2.2mb

    A summary of the Hidden in Plain Sight report, published in March 2022.

    Download Hidden in Plain Sight March 2022 - summary (2.2mb)

    October 2021

    Bipolar UK presented the early findings of the Bipolar Commission at a parliamentary reception in London on 21 October 2021.

    The first report 'Bipolar Diagnosis Matters' focuses on what bipolar is, what triggers it, how long it takes to get a diagnosis, the impact of a delay in diagnosis and the risks of living with the condition.

    Bipolar Diagnosis Matters

    pdf764.9kb

    Published in October 2021, this report explores the importance of getting a bipolar diagnosis, the delay in diagnosis and how diagnosis rates could be improved in the UK.

    Download Bipolar Diagnosis Matters October 2021 - full report (764.9kb)

    Bipolar Diagnosis Matters - Summary

    pdf667.8kb

    A summary of the Bipolar Diagnosis Matters report, published in October 2021

    Download Bipolar Diagnosis Matters October 2021 - summary (667.8kb)

    Bipolar Commission Wales

    Key findings of the Bipolar Commission in Wales

    • There are 50,000 people with bipolar in Wales ≈ number of people who live with dementia or learning difficulties in Wales.
    • It takes, on average, 11.9 years to get a diagnosis of bipolar in Wales.
    • Bipolar relapses in Wales cost approximately £54.4 million a year.

    July 2025

    On 9 July 2025, Bipolar UK hosted an event at the Senedd in Wales to present its latest Bipolar Commission report: 'Mapping The Gaps: The impact of incomplete data on bipolar diagnosis and care'.

    The event was attended by over 70 people including Members of the Senedd, Mayors, policy makers, prominent figures in the health and social care sector, academics, clinicians, journalists and people with lived experience.

    Thanks go to Bipolar UK Ambassadors, Gareth Davies MS and Ceri Ashe, who both spoke about their lived experience of bipolar, and why early bipolar diagnosis and ongoing specialist care are so crucial to help prevent relapse.

    Our Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to seven Health Boards in Wales and wider engagement with NHS data sources, revealed three key findings:

    1. There’s a lack of quality data hindering service planning.

    2. Early Intervention Psychosis (EIP) services are available across Wales but not tailored for people with bipolar.

    3. There is no bipolar care pathway in Wales, despite high prevalence and risk.

    Mapping the gaps in Wales

    pdf330.5kb

    Published in June 2025, this report looks at the incomplete data on bipolar diagnosis and care in Wales.

    Download Mapping the gaps in Wales July 2025 (330.5kb)

    June 2023

    On 6 June 2023, Bipolar UK presented the findings of the Bipolar Commission in Wales at a lunchtime reception at the National Centre for Mental Health in Cardiff.

    During the event, key opinion leaders met for a roundtable discussion to put together the joint position statement below. On Friday 16 June 2023, they signed and sent the statement to the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing for the Welsh government.

    We call on the Welsh Government to make Wales the most bipolar-friendly country in the world by making and delivering on the following 4 commitments:

    • Reduce the average delay to diagnosis from 11.9 years in Wales down to five years within five years: This could include public awareness campaigns and specialist diagnosis centres.
    • Provide a specialist care pathway for bipolar patients: This would be on a par with early interventions for psychosis services, it would be psychiatrist-led and would prioritise continuity of care.
    • Develop standards for bipolar care: These could be regularly audited by an independent third party, such as the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
    • Provide effective psychoeducation for everyone with bipolar. 

    This would mean rolling out self-management courses across Wales.

    Signed by:

    • Simon Kitchen, CEO Bipolar UK
    • Professor Ian Jones, Director of The National Centre for Mental Health in Cardiff
    • Professor Euan Hails MBE, Director of Clinical and Therapeutic Governance, Adferiad Recovery
    • Dr Oliver John, Royal College of Psychiatrists in Wales Manager
    • Councillor Norma Mackie, Cardiff Council
    • Professor Arianna Di Florio, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University
    • Dr Clare Dolman, researcher, co-chair of Bipolar Commission who has lived experience of bipolar
    • Jackie Dix, commissioner for Bipolar Commission who has lived experience of bipolar