Personal recovery in bipolar disorder post-discharge
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring the impact of social support, community integration, and coping skills on personal recovery in bipolar disorder post-discharge
IRAS ID
333612
Contact name
Barbara Mezes
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Liverpool
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 8 months, 1 days
Research summary
Mood disorders are the second most common diagnoses on admission to mental health units in England. Characterised by frequent depressive and (hypo)manic episodes, and affecting approximately 1.3% of the UK population, bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe illness with adverse effects on functioning.
Transitioning back to the community following discharge can be challenging. The first three months are linked to elevated risk of suicide and relapse. This period may be especially difficult for individuals diagnosed with BD, whose recovery rates are low.
Personal recovery, a service-user led definition, is “a way of living a satisfying, hopeful, and contributing life even with limitations caused by the illness”. Personal recovery is becoming increasingly recognised in literature and policy, therefore it is important to explore factors underpinning personal recovery to improve treatment and outcomes.
Current research in BD has focused on symptom reduction, however many individuals with BD do not achieve symptom-free periods. There is limited research exploring factors that contribute to personal recovery in BD, and literature has not explored personal recovery following discharge. This study aims to explore the associations between coping skills, social support, community integration and personal recovery in individuals with BD post-discharge.
Individuals with a diagnosis of BD at the point of discharge, or within two weeks of discharge, from inpatient services will be recruited. They will be invited to take part in a longitudinal survey study, either through an electronic link or via paper measures. Participants will be presented with an information sheet and consent form. They will provide demographics and clinical information before completing questionnaires exploring symptomatology, personal recovery, coping skills, social support, and community integration. Participants will be asked to complete the same measures at 3-months post-discharge to explore the associations between variables during this time. If attrition is high, qualitative data will be collected.REC name
London - Brent Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/PR/0080
Date of REC Opinion
13 Feb 2024
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion