The Spectrum Centre is studying the experiences of people who have a partner with bipolar disorder and who parent a child. We hope to understand the challenges experienced by this group, so that we can develop better support.
The idea for this project came from another ongoing study where we are testing support for parents with bipolar (The IBPI study - [LINK]).
We know from our participants and people with lived experience of bipolar that partners provide invaluable support for someone with bipolar, especially when they are parenting together too. However, we also know this role can be stressful for the partner, and more support for the partner themselves may be needed.
In this project, we aim to explore the needs and experiences of partners of parents with bipolar, through an online survey and interviews. We also aim to co-design a toolkit for social workers to better understand and support the partners of parents with bipolar.
We are inviting 150 partners of parents with bipolar to take part. You may be able to take part if you live with your partner and a child aged under 18. To find out more about the study and what participating means, please read our PIS [LINK].
If you're interested in taking part, please click the link below, where we will ask you to share your contact details so that we can get touch to confirm you're eligible to participate.
The PPB project is led by Professor Steven Jones and hosted at the Spectrum Centre at Lancaster University. We are working in collaboration with colleagues based at the University of York, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, Bipolar UK, and University College London.
