Understanding Inspirational Experiences in Bipolar Disorder
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Meaning and Impact of Inspiration Experiences for People Living with Bipolar Disorder
IRAS ID
224980
Contact name
Lydia Donson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Lancaster University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 4 months, 1 days
Research summary
Many people with bipolar disorder (BD) report that they value some positive aspects of their condition. An important example of a positive experience which is valued by those with BD is creativity, which is elevated in people with BD and their families. The understanding of creativity in academic research however is currently limited. Important advances in this area may be achieved by a clearer understanding of the emotional and motivational processes which underpin creativity. Therefore the focus of this PhD will be on deepening our understanding of inspiration, a core emotional-motivational process which drives creativity through the generation of ideas which are then translated into creative outputs. In particular, this PhD will explore how people experience inspiration, what this means to them and how they think that changes in inspiration experiences could impact on their lives more broadly. One area that will be considered is the extent to which these perspectives are associated with ambivalent views about drug treatment for their condition because they fear the loss or dampening of inspiration experiences. The extent to which this leads to inadequate treatment and therefore to negative impacts on health and well-being will be examined.
REC name
London - Fulham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/1798
Date of REC Opinion
17 Jan 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion