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Substance use

People with bipolar disorder can have co-occurring (comorbid) conditions. These include substance misuse, abuse or dependence, and smoking. Substance misuse is a concern for people with bipolar disorder due to its association with poorer clinical and social outcomes. Substance use places additional burden on patients, families, psychiatric services, and government resources due to high rates of treatment non-adherence and relapse. Click on the links or the tabs below to access the information, or browse via the drop-down menu on the left.

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Substance use

Drug and alcohol use

What is substance use in bipolar disorder? Substance use is a concern for people with a mental illness due to the association with poor clinical and social outcomes. Substance use places additional burden on patients, families, psychiatric services, and government resources due to high rates of treatment non-adherence and relapse. Substance abuse leads to risk-taking behaviour, illegal activity, interpersonal problems and a loss of interest in usual activities. Abuse jeopardises physical health and neglect of important commitments at home, school or work. Substance dependence involves having a strong physical or psychological need for the substance. Not taking it leads to…

Smoking

What is smoking in bipolar disorder? Tobacco smoking is very common among people with a mental illness, who often show particularly heavy use. This poses considerable health risks, potential interference with the metabolism of medications, as well as financial burden for the individual. Heavy cigarette use may contribute to increased mortality and reduced life expectancy. What is the evidence for smoking? Moderate to high quality evidence suggests small to medium-sized, increased rate of smoking in people with bipolar disorder compared to the general population, and compared to people with major depression. There was a small decreased rate of smoking in…

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