A Nepalese bipolar case amidst risk and protective factors during COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT

Bipolar disorder is a chronic and recurring psychiatric illness. Emphasis on enhancing key protective factors like social support systems and promoting this to minimize risk factors like non-compliance is one of the key strategies tied to enhance overall psychological, intellectual, and emotional health for symptoms remission and relapse prevention even during adverse situations like the COVID-19 crisis. We intend here to point out implication of the dynamics of the protective and risk factors for bipolar mood through a 23-year patient from eastern Nepal, which is largely harmonious in its multi-ethnic, multilingual and multicultural social composition. This attribute of social cohesiveness and compassion is evident in this case report. When disturbed and ill, neighbors from native semi-urban Nepalese society did support even in the times of crisis of COVID-19 pandemic. The support of other people including neighbors is a key factor for the short-term and long-term management of bipolar mood.