Grant: Project Grant

Over half a million Canadians live with bipolar disorder (BD), a long-term and potentially disabling mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings from depression to mania. Suicide rates are disturbingly high - up to 15% of people with BD will end their own lives. This evidence paints a bleak picture. Yet, with optimal support, care and empowerment, people with BD can experience good health and quality of life (QoL). Our team - the Collaborative RESearch Team to study psychosocial issues in BD (CREST.BD) specializes in research into psychological and social treatments for BD. All of our research is done hand-in-hand with people who live with BD, their family members, healthcare providers and community partners. We recently completed a 3-year study to codesign and test a new mobile phone app, PolarUs, designed to support self-management and QoL measurement in people with BD. A pilot study was conducted in 170 people across North America. Results suggested that use of PolarUs was linked to improved QoL and mood (depression and mania) scores over time. In this project, we will build on our prior work and fully assess whether PolarUs improves QoL and mood outcomes in people with BD. In the first research stage, we will produce an advanced version of the app that is accessible to more diverse Canadians with BD. For example, we will translate and adapt the app content into multiple languages. In the second stage, we will test the new version of the app in a controlled study in North Americans who are diagnosed with BD. Improving peoples' knowledge about self-management strategies is a core element of effective treatment for BD. However, the majority of Canadians with the condition do not have access to basic psychoeducational information about self-management strategies and QoL measurement. The PolarUs app intervention, if successful, could provide one step towards addressing this gap and improving health and QoL outcomes in diverse Canadians with BD.