Lack of positivity bias can predict relapse in bipolar disorder

 New findings could provide a tool for people with bipolar disorder and clinicians to predict relapse and intervene in a timely manner

Click here for ScienceDaily article

Click here for full text article

An online supported self-management toolkit for relatives of people with psychosis or bipolar experiences: the IMPART multiple case study

There were many factors impacting on implementation of the toolkit, including high staff caseloads, technical difficulties and lack of training, but staff and relatives were generally positive about the concept.  Click here for further details. 

Diet and weight may affect response to bipolar disorder treatment

Data from a clinical trial has shown that how people respond to treatment for Bipolar Disorder may be influenced by their weight and the overall quality of their diet, including whether they are eating a diet high in foods thought to contribute to general inflammation. Read ScienceDaily article here

Brain Region Involved with Stress Bigger in Those Depressed or Bipolar

A new study reveals that in people who are depressed or have bipolar disorder, the left hypothalamus was on average 5 percent larger than that of their healthy counterparts. Click here for PsychCentral article

Breakthrough sensor to help people with bipolar disorder monitor lithium levels

Patients living with bipolar disorder and depression will soon be able to use a unique wearable sensor to safely monitor their lithium drug levels. Read ScienceDaily article here

High Levels of Vitamin D Protein Linked to Bipolar Illness in Kids

Researchers at The Ohio State University found that children with bipolar disorder had higher blood levels of a protein associated with Vitamin D compared to children without mood disorders.  Click here to read further.

Users' experiences of an online intervention for bipolar disorder: important lessons for design and evaluation

The evidence base for digital interventions for physical and mental health, including severe and enduring mental health difficulties, is increasing. In a feasibility trial, web-based Enhanced Relapse Prevention (ERPonline) for bipolar disorder demonstrated high recruitment and retention rates.  Click here to read further.

Lithium treatment for bipolar disorder linked to lowest risk of rehospitalization

Individuals with bipolar disorder have the lowest risk of rehospitalization if treated with lithium, according to a new study. Long-acting injections of antipsychotics were also effective, reducing the risk of rehospitalization by 30 per cent compared with their oral counterparts.Read ScienceDaily article here

Bipolar Patients with Schizophrenia Genes May Not Respond to Lithium

Patients with bipolar disorder who do not respond to lithium treatment all share something in common: a high number of genes previously identified for schizophrenia, according to a new international study led by the University of Adelaide in Australia. Click here for PsychCentral article

Psychotic disorders and obesity: New report shows big waistlines are to blame

A number of factors, including obesity, shorten the lifespan for those with schizophrenia by 20 years and by 10 years for those with bipolar disorder compared to the general population. In the first study to compare long-term weight gain across psychotic disorders, researchers show that expanding waistlines and the way body fat is distributed are largely to blame.

Bipolar Employees Can Face Major Challenges In The Workplace

New research finds that workplace environments may be unsupportive for people with bipolar disorder who may find themselves unemployed due to exclusion, stigma and stereotypes.

These workers had to disclose their condition to co-workers and employers to receive special accommodations or more support, but often the outcomes were negative, say researchers at the University of Michigan and the University of California, Los Angeles.

“Our findings suggest disclosure may risk job security,” said Lisa O’Donnell, the study’s lead author and a former doctoral student at U-M’s School of Social Work.

The study examined the relationship between social stressors at work such as isolation, conflict with others and stigmas, and how a person functions on the job.

Mood Stabilizing Medications an Effective Option for Older Adults with Bipolar Disorder

Two standard medications for bipolar disorder were effective in controlling symptoms at doses tailored to older people in a clinical trial of treatment in adults over age 60. The findings are an important step towards filling an existing gap in evidence-based guidance for treatment of bipolar disorder in older adults.

People with bipolar disorder experience marked shifts in mood and energy; manic episodes are a hallmark of the illness. Mania is associated with severe disability and can be life-threatening. The disorder affects an estimated 2.6 percent of Americans, including older adults. While mood stabilizing drugs can be very effective in treating mania, changes accompanying aging and co-occurring illness can make some older adults more susceptible to side effects of medications. Lithium, one of the medications tested in this study, is a mainstay drug for bipolar disorder, but older patients may not tolerate the doses used in younger individuals. This study sought to provide information on the effectiveness of lithium or a traditional alternative, divalproex, in older adults.

Mental Health Peer Navigators Can Help Others in Need

Investigators at the University of Southern California (USC) believe a new care model can enhance the physical health and extend the lives of people with mental illness, who typically die 25 years earlier than the general population.

In a study published in Schizophrenia Research, investigators suggest the magic bullet may involve peer navigators. These trained role models use their life experience with recovery from mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or depression, to help motivate others who could self-manage their own health needs.

In UK, Online Self-Help Tool Aids Bipolar Parents

A new U.K. study finds that online self-management support for parents with bipolar disorder leads to improvements in parenting and child behavior.

Researchers from the Spectrum Centre for Mental Health Research at Lancaster University recruited 97 parents with bipolar disorder who have children aged between three and ten years old.

Severe Mental Illness Linked to Increased Risk for Cardiovascular Disease

An international study of more than 3.2 million people with severe mental illness has revealed a substantially increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease compared to the general population.

Led by King’s College London, the research shows that people with severe mental illness (SMI), including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression, have a 53 percent higher risk for having cardiovascular disease, with a 78 percent higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease over the longer term.

MRI Study Shows Brain Structure Differences in Bipolar Patients

The brains of people with bipolar disorder show distinct differences in regions associated with inhibition and emotion, according to a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. In addition, these differences may be even more prominent in those with psychosis. Read more HERE.

Supporting the safety of girls and women being treated with valproate

A resource alert has been issued jointly by NHS Improvement and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to support the safety of girls and women of childbearing potential being treated with valproate.

Early Depression May Indicate Genetic Risk for Additional Mental Illness

Emerging research suggests clinical features of major depressive disorder (MDD) may help identify patients with a genetic risk for major psychiatric disorders.

Researchers from the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, discovered patients with depression at an early age, and a higher symptom severity, have an increased genetic risk for MDD, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

The findings are reported in Biological Psychiatry.

Area of brain linked to bipolar disorder pinpointed

A volume decrease in specific parts of the brain's hippocampus -- long identified as a hub of mood and memory processing -- was linked to bipolar disorder in a study led by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). The research was published today in Molecular Psychiatry, part of the Nature Publishing Group.

Weight Problems Increase Risk for Bipolar Teens

New research suggest medications alone do not increase the risk of being overweight or developing obesity among adolescents with bipolar disorder. But there appears to be a direct relationship between obesity and greater severity of bipolar disorder.