New research into Bipolar Disorder needs participants
By Liz Lockhart
The Bipolar Disorder Research Network (BDRN) is currently looking for a further 3,000 people with bipolar disorder to help with their research. The research is being conducted by the Mood Research Team based jointly at Cardiff University and the University of Birmingham and is led by Professor Nick Craddock.
The study aims to investigate how genetic factors and environmental factors (such as stressful life events) interact and influence susceptibility to bipolar disorder. date over 4,000 people have taken part in the research but as everyone’s experience of illness is different it is important to see many more people to enable the best possible understanding of the broad spectrum of bipolar illness.
BDRN told Mental Healthy that they are looking for a further 3,000 people to take part in this research. These people can live in England or Wales.
The study is funded by two of the world’s leading research charities, The Wellcome Trust and the Stanley Medical Research Institute. Working with the collaborators in Europe and the USA, it is the largest study of bipolar disorder in the world.
BDRN says that they would like to hear from individuals who have experience one or more episodes of high mood (often called mania, hypomania or bipolar disorder) at any time during their life.
A researcher will usually visit participants in their own home and will spend around an hour asking about their experiences and the kind of symptoms they have had in the past. They will leave a pack of questionnaires for completion and return to the research team in the SAE. The questionnaire pack will take between half an hour and an hour to complete.
They will take a small blood sample from the arm. Participants will be updated about the progress of the research in an annual newsletter.
If you would like to take part go to www.bdrn.org where all relevant information is available.
Further information on Bipolar
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