An estimated 1 in 50 people in the UK live with bipolar disorder, with more than half reporting symptoms before the age of 21 that have significantly affected their higher education options and experiences.
University life is often seen as a period of fun, opportunity, and preparation for a future career and greater stability. However, it can also involve recognised triggers for people living with bipolar disorder, including leaving home, sleep deprivation, exam stress, disrupted routines, alcohol and drug misuse, and financial independence.
The average age at which people receive a bipolar diagnosis has risen from 26–34 over the past 30 years. This means many people enter higher education experiencing symptoms without recognising them as bipolar disorder, or after being misdiagnosed and receiving inappropriate treatment.
The charity Bipolar UK is urging students experiencing symptoms such as difficulty sleeping, overspending, irritability, and the highly stigmatised symptom of hypersexual behaviour to take its bipolar test and consider whether a diagnosis and appropriate support may be worth exploring.
Speaking about the campaign, Bipolar UK’s Deputy CEO Rosie Phillips said: “An estimated 56% of people with bipolar do not have a diagnosis, and the average time it takes to get one (after reporting symptoms) is 9.5 years.”
“While it might feel scary to consider that you have bipolar, the reality is that with the right support, medication and lifestyle changes, you can live a great life and pursue the career path and opportunities you’d like to.”
“We want to use this opportunity to educate students and their peers about the symptoms of bipolar and signpost them towards the relevant resources and, ultimately, a diagnosis.”
People in higher education account for 6.5% of the UK population, meaning more than 90,000 students could be living with bipolar disorder. This has prompted Bipolar UK to engage with universities and attend Freshers’ Fairs to reach more students, helping them recognise symptoms earlier and reduce delays in diagnosis.
People with bipolar disorder can experience long or short periods of stability before going “low” into depression or “high”, experiencing hypomania, mania, or psychosis. These mood changes are more extreme than the everyday fluctuations of feeling slightly down or happy.
Hypomania, one of the symptoms highlighted by the campaign, involves periods of elevated or altered mood that can include overspending, a reduced need for sleep, risk-taking, and other changes in behaviour. These symptoms can become particularly noticeable when someone is under stress or out of their usual routine, such as when starting university.
Without appropriate treatment and support, the consequences can be severe
- Suicide attempts: Young people with bipolar disorder have suicide attempt rates more than 50 times higher than those without the condition.
- Leaving education or employment: Among 2,571 people with bipolar disorder surveyed about “bipolar and diagnosis”, 43% told the charity they had left their job and/or studies because of a delay in diagnosis.
- University dropouts: A 2022 survey of 865 people with bipolar disorder found that nearly three quarters had attended college or university, but around one-third had left university early.
Caitlin, aged 23, said: “I had clear symptoms of depression from quite a young age, I first noticed what felt like an inability to feel as happy as everyone else at the age of 10 which followed me into my teenage years.”
“Far less easy to describe were the periodic episodes of hypomania I experienced. It was totally bewildering, I had no idea what was going on with me, the boundless energy, the paranoia were so unlike me.”
“When I was around 15 years old I went to my GP about problems sleeping and depression but I was told that I’d probably get over it and it wasn’t taken any further. The symptoms didn’t go away, and in fact got a lot worse.”
“Following a break up in my second year of uni, I was flung headfirst into depression and put on anti-depressants which then triggered a destructive manic episode. I remember sobbing down the phone that my feelings were so overwhelming and the mood swings I had been experiencing were brutal. It was only then that a GP took me seriously and I first heard the words this sounds like bipolar.”
“I was referred to the Adult Mental Health Team and diagnosed officially with Bipolar 1 about two months later at the age of 19.”
“The manic episode I had during university ruined so much for me. I ruined relationships, my reputation, and had to step down from a disabilities representative role that I had loved.”
“The depressive side of bipolar made it really hard to give my degree my all. I went to an elite university and the pressure was immense. I completely cracked under it. I’d never felt so unsure of my abilities and my future.”
“Everything changed after I was diagnosed and medicated. I finally understood myself, and more importantly, the episodes stopped completely. I still had wobbles from time to time, but nothing like the episodes I was battling alone for so long. People also became more sympathetic after I was able to explain why I’d acted the way I did and I felt like I could apologise to them wholeheartedly with the knowledge that I did these harmful things because I had an untreated mental health condition that I was now committed to controlling the effects of, not because I was an irredeemably cruel person.”
Niamh, aged 27, said: “I was dismissed by my GP as being ‘too young to have bipolar’ when I went to see them about my mood, aged 14.”
“It took me until I was 19 and studying abroad in California where I became very manic and unwell. I was sent to a psychiatric facility after going to the medical centre on campus at California State University Long Beach, where I was diagnosed with bipolar and treated. Upon returning home a few months later, an NHS psychiatrist confirmed my diagnosis.”
“University was difficult because I knew I had bipolar and I was manic and struggling and self harming but I denied there was anything seriously wrong. I still did alright at university and thankfully made some wonderful friends, but it was a challenge having bipolar because I felt different and hated myself for my symptoms.”
“In my third year I attempted to take my life. This attempt came from mania and not taking my medication. The university (University of Leicester) were very supportive afterwards which was good alongside my friends and family.”
“Universities hopefully hold a much better space for mental health now, there just needs to be less stigma. Bipolar is difficult but it’s made me into someone very strong and positive now and I think children and teens need to be listened to and understood more.”
The campaign marks the start of a pilot scheme by the charity launching next month in Brighton. It will include an awareness walk around the town with ambassadors and allies, alongside an out-of-home campaign designed to raise awareness of bipolar symptoms and engage students through action and education. The scheme will then be rolled out in other university towns and cities across the UK.
People who recognise any of the symptoms are encouraged to take a simple online test to explore whether their experiences could be linked to bipolar disorder.