Bipolar and other major psychiatric illnesses present major clinical challenges. As the predominant psychopathology even in treated individuals these disorders attribute to not only with excess morbidity, but also mortality from co-occurring general-medical disorders and high suicide risk. In BD for example, risks for medical disorders including diabetes or metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disorders, and associated mortality rates are several-times above those for the general population or with other psychiatric disorders.

This program will provide an overview of mental health disorders commonly seen in an acute care setting such as depression, anxiety, bi-polar and schizophrenia providing the nursing with concrete strategies to effectively manage patients with these diagnoses. This program is appropriate for nurses in all practice settings as mental health does not discriminate.