Personal Knowledge Management in Self-Care for Individuals with Bipolar Disorder: A Qualitative Study involving Patients, Families, and Healthcare Providers

Background. Bipolar disorder is a chronic condition that requires lifelong self-care. Many personal experiences are obtained in self-care. Therefore, gathering and utilizing these experiences is crucial for managing the condition effectively. This qualitative study explores the perspective of stakeholders on personal knowledge management in the context of bipolar disorder. Methods. The current qualitative study was conducted in 2024 in Tabriz. First, semi-structured interviews were carried out with patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder, their families, and healthcare staff working in psychiatric departments to identify self-care experiences. The content analysis approach and MAXQDA software version 2020 were used for data analysis. Then, the Delphi technique was employed to assess the level of agreement among experts regarding the indicators of personal knowledge management for self-care among patients with bipolar disorder. Results. By coding the interview transcripts, seven themes and 24 categories were identified. Two of these themes pertained to patients, including: 1) educational strategies for patients and their families, and 2) strategies for enhancing patients' engagement in the treatment process. Additionally, five themes related to healthcare providers were identifies: 1) attention to the privacy of service recipients, 2) barriers to self-care knowledge management, 3) essential input for self-care knowledge management, 4) processes for managing patients' personal experiences and 5) education in information technology. In the second stage, 41 out of 65 codes received an average score above 7.5 in the first round of Delphi process, while the remaining codes proceeded to the second round. According to the results of the second round, only seven codes achieved an agreement above 0.6. The remaining codes were removed due to having an agreement below 0.6. Conclusion. According to the results, providing face-to-face training to patients with bipolar disorder and their families can enhance patients’ self-care practices. Also, sharing reliable experiences among patients via social media can enhance self-care behaviors. In addition to providing education, fostering the positive attitude among patients and their families toward the impact of sharing experiences can lead to effective behavioral changes.