Trial tests new technique to manage mood swings within bipolar disorder


Date:
August 5, 2021
Source:
University of Exeter
Summary:
Researchers have conducted a new trial to identify how an existing
psychological therapy can be adapted to help people cope with and
manage frequent bipolar mood swings.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Researchers have conducted a new trial to identify how an existing psychological therapy can be adapted to help people cope with and manage frequent Bipolar mood swings.


==========================================================================
A subgroup of those with Bipolar Spectrum Disorders experience ongoing
mood fluctuations outside of full episodes. These shifts in mood can
sometimes make it difficult to live life to the full, and can be a source
of difficulties in relationships with others. There are currently few
therapy options available for people living with dramatic weekly, daily
or even hourly mood swings.

The ThRIVe-B programme, carried out by researchers at the University of
Exeter, involved taking an existing psychological therapy for another
group of people that aims to help with emotion regulation, known as
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DPT), and adapting it for people who have
these frequent Bipolar mood swings.

DPT teaches skills both in acceptance of situations and emotional
responses and is currently offered to people who have a diagnosis of Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder.

"We have psychological therapies that can be helpful for people with
Bipolar but there's less available for people who have very frequent
and ongoing mood swings within Bipolar" said lead author Dr Kim Wright,
of the University of Exeter.

"We wanted to see how acceptable the therapy would be to the people who received it and do a test run to identify what changes need to be made
before conducting a larger trial." The study took place in Devon and
Cumbria and 43 participants were placed randomly into two groups.



==========================================================================
Half of the participants received the new therapy. The other half
continued with their usual NHS care.

The therapy lasted for around six months and participants were interviewed
at various stages and asked to complete questionnaires when the study
started and three, six, nine and 15 months later.

Participants were invited to reflect upon their behavioural response
to extreme mood and activation states day-to-day and modify this where necessary.

In DPT this is achieved by building mindful awareness skills and through
giving participants a framework through which to appraise their emotional responses and to develop alternative ways of relating to and managing
these.

The therapy involved attending 16 group sessions and also some individual sessions with a therapist.



==========================================================================
To support this, there was home practice as well as handouts and a ThrIVe-
B smartphone app where participants could rate their mood.

"Because of the small numbers of people tested, the trial was never
intended to evaluate the benefit of the treatment itself. Instead the
study aimed to evaluate feasibility and acceptability of this therapy"
Dr Wright explained.

"Overall, the study shows that there is demand from people with Bipolar
for a psychological therapy addressing ongoing mood instability, and
that a larger trial of a therapy like this is feasible.

"Our next steps will be to refine the therapy in line with what we
learned from this study, such as simplifying content and considering
individual rather than group delivery." Psychological therapy for mood instability within bipolar spectrum disorder: a randomised, controlled feasibility trial of a dialectical behaviour therapy- informed approach
(the ThrIVe-B programme) is published in the International Journal of
Bipolar Disorders and was funded by the National Institute for Health
Research (NIHR) [Research for Patient Benefit programme].

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Exeter. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Kim Wright, Alyson L. Dodd, Fiona C. Warren, Antonieta Medina-Lara,
Barnaby Dunn, Julie Harvey, Mahmood Javaid, Steven H. Jones,
Christabel Owens, Rod S. Taylor, Deborah Duncan, Alexandra Newbold,
Shelley Norman, Faith Warner, Thomas R. Lynch. Psychological
therapy for mood instability within bipolar spectrum
disorder: a randomised, controlled feasibility trial of a
dialectical behaviour therapy-informed approach (the ThrIVe-
B programme). International Journal of Bipolar Disorders, 2021;
9 (1) DOI: 10.1186/s40345-021-00226-4 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210805115451.htm

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