Family

Integrated Bipolar Parenting Intervention

The Spectrum Centre is studying how online parenting support specifically for parents diagnosed with bipolar disorder can improve both parents' and children's wellbeing.

About The Study

Aims

We aim to assess whether providing online parenting support (IBPI) for parents with bipolar disorder leads to their children having fewer behavioural and emotional problems. We also want to know whether the online support helps parents feel less stressed and more confident about their parenting and have fewer mood problems. If successful, the IBPI can be made widely available for parents with bipolar disorder.

Want to get involved?

We are looking for 342 parents with bipolar, who have a child aged 4-11 and live in the UK to take part. To find out more about the study and what participating means, please read our information sheet.

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Be a Participant

If you're interested in taking part, please click the link below and complete our Registration of Interest Form, where we will ask you to share your contact details so that a member of the research team can get touch to confirm you're eligible to participate.

Click here to register your interest: https://forms.office.com/e/DXAnBvtneZ

Why is this project needed now?

Around 800,000 children in the UK live with a parent diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and around 60% of these will experience at least one mental health issue during childhood. This may be because children of parents with bipolar disorder are likely to experience unstable parenting, as mood changes can make delivering consistent parenting difficult. Therefore, parents diagnosed with bipolar disorder often report high levels of stress and low parenting confidence, while their children’s emotional and behavioural wellbeing is also impacted.

There is currently no support available specifically for parents diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Spectrum is aiming to change this, by creating the integrated bipolar parenting intervention (IBPI)

What is IBPI?

The IBPI (Integrated Bipolar Parenting Intervention) is an online tool that combines parenting support with helpful strategies for managing bipolar. It has 8 sections, including topics such as "managing emotions","working with strengths" and "making parenting enjoyable". Sections take around 30 minutes each to complete and parents are free to access them whenever they want. It can be accessed on computers, mobile phones or tablets.

Who's already involved?

We have a range of people involved with this project, including researchers at the Spectrum Centre (Lancaster University) and other universities, and people working in the NHS and charities such as Bipolar UK.

Meet the Team

Study Updates

Organisations Involved in the IBPI Project

  • The Spectrum Centre

  • University of Oxford

  • King's College, London

  • Queen's University

  • University of Nottingham

  • University of York

  • NIHR

  • Bipolar UK

  • LSCFT

  • University of Manchester