Bipolar disorder is a disorder involving one’s mental state. It causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, concentration, and the ability to perform activities of daily living. Also, bipolar disorder affects the immediate family members of a bipolar person, most especially the spouse. Thus, having a healthy relationship with a bipolar family member seems elusive. To learn more about its impact on relationships, let’s talk about some bipolar marriage statistics.
In the U.S. alone, the prevalence rate of bipolar disorder among adults is 2.8%, per the National Comorbidity Survey Replication of the National Institute of Mental Health. The disorder affects about 45 million people worldwide. With such a global impact, is it really possible to have a healthy relationship? The answer is yes.
You can have a healthy and successful marriage with a spouse with bipolar disorder. Based on the latest bipolar disorder and marriage statistics, 90% of marriages with bipolar spouse may end in divorce, but there are still 10% that doesn’t.
The relationship might be challenging, but there is help along the way. You can take steps to support your partner and help them manage their symptoms.
Bipolar marriage statistics: What is the success rate?
10% is the estimated success rate in marriages with a bipolar spouse
According to the National Library of Medicine studies, there is limited data on marital issues among patients with BD and their spouses. Their study suggests that there is a lack of information about the perception of the patients about their own marital satisfaction, marital functioning, and sexual satisfaction.
Psychology Today has published an article stating that 90 percent of marriages involving a partner with bipolar disorder end in divorce. Thus, we can conclude that there’s a 10% chance of having a successful marriage with a bipolar partner.
What country has the highest bipolar marriages?
The United States of America has the highest bipolar disorder rate at 4.4%
There is no specific study yet that will count the rate of bipolar marriages worldwide. However, the following data and studies would give a good picture of the bipolar marriage rates.
According to CNN, about 2.4% of people worldwide have bipolar disorder, with the U.S. ranked number one with a rate of 4.4%, while India has the lowest rate at 0.1%. According to several National Statistical Agencies, the United States remained at the top with the highest marriage rate among other countries, such as South Korea, the United Kingdom, and Italy. Since the United States has the highest rate of both bipolar disorder and marriages, we can conclude that it has the highest bipolar marriages worldwide.
What country has the least bipolar marriages?
India has the lowest rate of bipolar disorder with a 0.1% prevalence rate
India could be the country with the least bipolar divorce rate because the prevalence rate of bipolar disorder among adults in India is only 0.1%. They have one of the lowest divorce rates worldwide, affecting merely 1% of Indian marriages.
Because of their culture and religious influences on marriage, having bipolar disorder wouldn’t be sufficient grounds for a judge to dissolve a marriage in India. They tend to focus more on reconciliation rather than separation. Also, Indians are never taught to prioritize individual happiness, which they call “Sanskar over happiness”.
According to NCBI research, Indians see marriage as universal irrespective of the presence or absence of a mental disorder, like bipolar disorder. They even consider marriage a protective factor against mental illness and believe that marriage can cure mental illness.
What percent of bipolar marriages end in divorce?
About 90% of marriages with a bipolar spouse will end in divorce
According to an article published by Psychology Today last November 2003 on managing bipolar disorder, about 90% of marriages with a bipolar spouse will end in divorce. Having a bipolar spouse can be more challenging than a normal husband-wife relationship.
They can experience emotions they don’t think they should be having, like anger, frustration, and even hate. The unwanted emotions can lead to more severe arguments and put tension in a marriage that will ultimately cause the dissolution of the union.
What is the infidelity rate in marriages with bipolar spouses?
29% of people with bipolar disorder had cheated on their spouse 10 times or more
According to a 2016 study published in Psychiatry Journal, researchers have found that about 25% to 80% of people who have mania also experience hypersexuality, which appears more prevalent among women. According to an old study in 1975, 29% of people with bipolar disorder had cheated on their spouse 10 times or more.
Bipolar marriage statistics: Who is more likely to file for a divorce between a bipolar spouse and a non-bipolar spouse?
A non-bipolar spouse is more likely to file for divorce than a bipolar spouse
Although there is little evidence suggesting that non-bipolar spouses file for divorce more often than their bipolar partners, there are studies in NCBI that outline the impact of having a bipolar spouse on the marital relationship. The result of the study says that the impact of bipolar disorder on spouses included self-sacrifice, caregiving burden, and emotional impact.
And because bipolar have reactive behaviors and tend to lash out, it will become harder to control, which sometimes results in violence. Most caregiving spouses who experience consistently unhealthy relationships, burnout, and danger are likely to file for a divorce.
We hope that the abovementioned statistics on bipolar marriage will foster a better understanding of the disorder and its impact on marriage and other types of relationships.
