World Bipolar Day: Understanding, Respect and Support Matter
- Shane Warren
- 12 minutes ago
- 3 min read
MEDIA RLEASE / AWARENESS STATEMENT
For Immediate Release
30 March 2026
On World Bipolar Day, observed on 30 March, the Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association of Australia (VMHPAA) stands with people living with bipolar disorder, their families, carers, and support networks, and calls for greater understanding, earlier support, and stronger action to reduce stigma and discrimination. World Bipolar Day exists to build awareness of bipolar disorder and to challenge the social stigma that still surrounds it.
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition characterised by significant shifts in mood and energy, including manic, hypomanic and depressive episodes. The World Health Organization notes that stigma and discrimination remain widespread and can undermine access to healthcare while also affecting education, employment, housing, relationships and everyday participation. WHO also states that, with appropriate care, recovery is possible and people with bipolar disorder can live meaningful and productive lives.
VMHPAA’s position is clear: people living with bipolar disorder deserve to be treated with dignity, listened to without prejudice, and supported through care that is person-centred, informed, recovery-oriented, and respectful of lived experience. Public conversation must move beyond stereotypes and sensationalism. Language matters. Attitudes matter. Access matters. Healthdirect Australia notes that stigma often grows from misunderstanding and misinformation, can worsen distress, and can stop people from asking for help.
Shane Warren, Chair of VMHPAA, said World Bipolar Day should be used not only to raise awareness, but to deepen compassion and challenge the harmful assumptions that continue to surround the condition.
“World Bipolar Day reminds us that understanding must always be stronger than stigma,” Mr Warren said. “People living with bipolar disorder are not defined by a diagnosis. They are individuals with strengths, insight, relationships, ambitions, and a right to be met with dignity and respect.”
“Too often, bipolar disorder is misunderstood, oversimplified, or spoken about through stereotypes. That does real harm. It can discourage help-seeking, isolate people further, and make recovery more difficult. We need more informed conversations, more compassion, and more communities where people feel safe to speak openly and seek support early.” [Shane Warren]
VMHPAA also recognises the importance of support around the individual, including families, carers, workplaces, schools, and community-based services. WHO notes that support from family and friends is important, that family psychoeducation can help loved ones understand and support the person better, and that psychological and psychosocial supports play an important role alongside medical care.
Susan Sandy, Secretary of VMHPAA, said people often do better when the people around them respond with steadiness, knowledge, and care rather than fear or judgement.
“For many people, the experience of bipolar disorder is shaped not only by symptoms, but by how others respond to them,” Ms Sandy said. “Supportive families, informed practitioners, understanding educators, and psychologically safer workplaces can all make a meaningful difference.”
“We need to keep building communities where people are not shamed for struggling, where seeking help is seen as a sign of strength, and where support is practical as well as compassionate. Understanding creates room for hope, and hope is an essential part of recovery.” [Susan Sandy]
As the peak body for vocational mental health practitioners, VMHPAA believes community-based and vocationally trained practitioners have an important role to play in mental health literacy, early listening, recovery-oriented support, psycho-education, family engagement, referral pathways, and continuity of care alongside broader clinical and psychosocial systems. This reflects WHO guidance that effective care for bipolar disorder commonly includes a mix of medicines and psychological and psychosocial interventions tailored to the person’s needs.
On World Bipolar Day, VMHPAA calls for a public culture that is more informed, more humane, and less judgemental; for services that are easier to access and better connected; and for ongoing efforts to challenge myths that prevent people from receiving the support they deserve. Bipolar disorder should never be a reason for exclusion, fear, or reduced opportunity. Respect, support, and dignity must remain at the centre of every conversation.
Media Contact:
Shane Warren, Chair
Susan Sandy, Secretary
Philip Armstrong, CEO
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