Bipolar disorder
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Where to find mental health information and access to care »
Family Navigation Project at Sunnybrook
- supporting families with youth aged 13-26
- facilitates connections and treatment providers
- sunnybrook.ca/familynavigation
- find mental health services, help and support in your community
- ementalhealth.ca
- health services information
- operates three helplines 24/7
- connexontario.ca
- service database
- 24/7 community information and referral helplines
- 211toronto.ca
- links to health services
- centralhealthline.ca
Homelessness & mental health: Toronto North Support Services
- support services for vulnerable individuals on the street and in shelters
- tnss.ca
Where to find clinical supports at Sunnybrook »
Sunnybrook Department of Psychiatry
- link for referral information
- sunnybrook.ca/psychiatry/refer
Crisis supports »
Ontario Association of Suicide Prevention
- helpful links for crisis support
- educational information
- ospn.ca
- helpful links for crisis support
- monthly newsletter
- dcontario.org
Drop-in sessions and classes »
- Upcoming Support Programs across Ontario - Mood Disorders Association of Ontario (MDAO)
- Self-Help Resource Centre
- Wellness Recovery Action Plan (W.R.A.P.) at MDAO
- Laughing Like Crazy at MDAO (looking through difficult issues through the lens of humour; a 16 week group program)
Drop-in resources for youth »
Diagnostic information and resources »
International Society for Bipolar Disorders
- resources for patients and caregivers
- information about cognition, pregnancy and more
- isbd.org
Mood Disorders Association of Ontario
- free peer support and recovery programs for patients and families
- diagnostic information
- mooddisorders.ca
Canadian Mental Health Association
- links to information and community support services
- cmha.ca
Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments
- helpful informational links
- links to resources, including the Patient and Family Guide to the CANMAT and ISBD Guidelines on the Management of Bipolar Disorder
- canmat.org
- a program of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
- education resources and parent online support community
- dbsalliance.org/dmpn
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
- provides hope, help, support and information for patients and families
- dbsalliance.org - Helping Someone With a Mood Disorder
National Alliance on Mental Illness
- helpful information
- link to discussion groups
- nami.org - bipolar disorder information
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
- helpful links and information
- camh.ca - bipolar disorder information
Anxiety and Depression Association of America
- helpful diagnostic information and links
- adaa.org
American Psychiatric Association
- helpful diagonstic information
- psychiatry.org - What Are Bipolar Disorders?
Helping Other Parents Everywhere (HOPE)
- support and self-help groups for parents, guardians and relatives of young adults
- hope4parents.ca
Informational websites for youth »
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- helpful facts and information
- aacap.org - Bipolar Disorder Resource Center
National Institute of Mental Health
- helpful facts and information
- nimh.nih.gov - Bipolar Disorder in Children and Teens
Videos and podcasts »
Out of Darkness Multimedia Project »
Booklets, fact sheets, and web resources »
- The Patient and Family Guide to the CANMAT and ISBD Guidelines on the Management of Bipolar Disorder (Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments)
- Bipolar Disorder (Royal College of Psychiatrists)
- What are Bipolar Disorders? (American Psychiatric Association)
- Cognitive behavioural therapy: An information guide (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health)
- Cognition in bipolar disorder (International Society for Bipolar Disorders)
- Suicide Prevention (International Society for Bipolar Disorders)
- Helpful Parenting Strategies for Your Bipolar Child (Oxford University Press Blog)
- Experts urge early monitoring for heart disease in teens with mood disorders (Sunnybrook)
- Sleep and insomnia resources:
- Resources for Families Affected by Co-morbid Substance Use (CAMH)
Apps »
Disclaimer: we have not evaluated these apps. They are listed in alphabetical order, not order of effectiveness.
Calm - guided mindfulness meditation for smartphones and tablets; $13.99/month
Headspace - guided meditation for smartphones and tablets; free 10 day trial then $12.95/month Read more about Headspace: "The Science of Meditation" and "HeadSpace Research"
MediSafe - medication reminder for smartphones and tablets; $6.99
MoodKit - Cognitive Behavioural Therapy app for iPhone and iPad; $6.99
Pacifica - holistic tools to address stress, anxiety and depression for smartphones, tablets and web; free 7 day trial then $5.49/month
SuperBetter - helps build personal resilience for smartphones, tablets and web; free
T2 Mood Tracker - monitor and track emotional health for smartphones and tablets; free
What’s My M3 - mood tracker for patients and clinicians to monitor trends over time for smartphones and tablets; free
Self-help books »
Available in the Sunnybrook library:
- The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide: What you and your family need to know, 2nd Edition (Miklowitz, Guilford Press: 2011)
- Coping with Bipolar Disorder : a CBT-informed guide to living with manic depression (Jones, Hawyard and Lam, Oneworld Publications: 2009)
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression, Second Edition (Segal, Williams and Teasdale, Guilford Press: 2013)
Not available in the Sunnybrook library:
- Mind Over Mood, Second Edition: Change How You Feel by Changing the Way You Think (Greenberger and Padesky, Guilford Press: 2015)
- The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook for Bipolar Disorder (Van Dijk, New Harbinger: 2009)
- Living with Someone Who’s Living with Bipolar Disorder: A Practical Guide for Family, Friends, and Coworkers (Lowe and Cohen, Jossey-Bass: 2010)
- This Fragile Life: A Mother’s Story of a Bipolar Son (Pierce-Baker: 2012)
- Bipolar Disorder, Second Edition: A Family-Focused Treatment Approach (Miklowitz, Guilford Press: 2010)
- New Hope for Children and Teens with Bipolar Disorder (Birmaher, Harmony: 2004)
Informational books »
Available in the Sunnybrook library:
- Understanding Mental Disorders: A Patient and Family Resource (American Psychiatric Association: 2015)
Not available in the Sunnybrook library:
- An Unquiet Mind (Redfield Jamison, Vintage: 1997)
News & media »
Last updated: July 2021