Behavioural Activation for Bipolar Depression: A Case Series (BA-BD)

University of Exeter

Status: Completed

Conditions: Bipolar Depression

Treatments: Other: Behavioural Activation (BA)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03658824

237525

Details and patient eligibility

About

Bipolar Disorders affect around 2% of the population. Most people with Bipolar experience depression; these periods can cause difficulties with relationships, work and daily life.

Psychological therapies for "unipolar" depression (for people who experience depression but never mania or hypomania) are widely available, but there is little research in to how effective these therapies are for people with Bipolar. Knowing this could give greater choice to people with Bipolar in terms of the therapy they have, and how easy it is to get within the NHS. One such therapy is called Behavioural Activation (BA). BA is an established therapy for people with unipolar depression. It helps people to re-establish healthier patterns of activity, but so far there is very little research into offering BA to people with BD.

The current research involves a small number of people with Bipolar Depression receiving BA to see if it seems sensible and worthwhile to them, and to help us to make any necessary improvements to the therapy. The study is taking place in Devon and is sponsored by the University of Exeter. 12 people that are currently experiencing Bipolar Depression who choose to take part will receive up to 20 individual therapy sessions of BA that has been adapted for Bipolar Depression (BA-BD), and will complete regular questionnaires and interviews. The results of this study will not give the final answer on how effective BA is for people with bipolar depression, but will help to plan for a larger study that can answer this question.

Enrollment: 12 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• scoring in the clinical range on a self-report measure of depression severity (the PHQ-9)
• meeting diagnostic criteria for depression based on a Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnosis (SCID-5)
• meeting diagnostic criteria for Bipolar I or II Disorder (SCID-5)
• participants will require working knowledge of written and spoken English, sufficient to be able to make use of therapy and to be able complete research assessments without the need of a translator.

Exclusion criteria

• current/past learning disability, organic brain change, substance dependence (drugs and alcohol) that would compromise ability to use therapy
• current marked risk to self (i.e. self-harm or suicide) that we deem could not be appropriately managed in the AccEPT clinic at the Mood Disorders Centre
• currently lacking capacity to give informed consent
• currently receiving other psychosocial therapy for depression or bipolar disorder
• presence of another area of difficulty that the therapist and client believe should be the primary focus of intervention (for example, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, psychosis).

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

12 participants in 6 patient groups

3 week wait

Other group

Description:

Participant waits for 3 weeks after their baseline assessment before commencing therapy.

Treatment:

Other: Behavioural Activation (BA)

4 week wait

Other group

Description:

Participant waits for 4 weeks after their baseline assessment before commencing therapy.

Treatment:

Other: Behavioural Activation (BA)

5 week wait

Other group

Description:

Participant waits for 5 weeks after their baseline assessment before commencing therapy.

Treatment:

Other: Behavioural Activation (BA)

6 week wait

Other group

Description:

Participant waits for 6 weeks after their baseline assessment before commencing therapy.

Treatment:

Other: Behavioural Activation (BA)

7 week wait

Other group

Description:

Participant waits for 7 weeks after their baseline assessment before commencing therapy.

Treatment:

Other: Behavioural Activation (BA)

8 week wait

Other group

Description:

Participant waits for 8 weeks after their baseline assessment before commencing therapy.

Treatment:

Other: Behavioural Activation (BA)