Bipolar Advantage rests on clinical data, a federal review and twenty years of real-world results. This page sets out what we have so far and what we are working toward.
The Bipolar IN Order program was the subject of an unpublished pilot study led by Dr. Nassir Ghaemi, Professor of Psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine. Nineteen participants finished the 8-week program and were measured on the validated WHO Quality of Life scale.
At the start, 42% of participants described themselves as "currently ill"; after the program that fell to 26%. Awareness of state rose by 10 points, comfort during episodes by 13.3 points and functioning by 5 points.
Interest from the bipolar community was strong, and 19 participants completed the whole program.
| Domain | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Health | 56.6 | 66.4 | +9.8 points |
| Social Relationships | 50.8 | 55.9 | +5.1 points |
| Psychological Health | 57 | 59.4 | +2.4 points |
| Environment | 71.9 | 73.8 | +1.9 points |
N=19, mean age 44.3, 63% women, 43% type I / 57% type II, 8-week program
“A symptomatic benefit comparable to currently available medication. When added adjunctively to medications, the program also produces quality of life benefits not seen after psychopharmacological treatment alone.”Ghaemi et al.
We put a $2 million research proposal to PCORI (Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute), one of the major federal funders of research. Its review was thorough and its feedback precise.
At that time the program ran as workshops, which were not standardized enough to repeat reliably in a large study. The reviewers were right. We responded by rebuilding the whole program in digital form, where every interaction is logged, every outcome can be measured and the method can be repeated exactly. The program as it stands today answers each concern PCORI raised.
Researchers and clinicians at leading institutions have endorsed the Bipolar Advantage approach or offered to work with us on validation studies.
Tufts University
Mood disorders, psychopharmacology
Maastricht / Utrecht University (Netherlands)
Recovery-oriented psychiatry, dimensional models
University of Barcelona (Spain)
Bipolar disorder research (one of the most cited in the field)
University of Cambridge (UK)
Biomarkers, mood disorders
Yale School of Medicine
Mood Disorders Research Program Director
UC Berkeley
Dept of Psychology, Chair
Medical directors at Blue Cross Blue Shield wrote letters of support for the program in 2014.
You build a personal picture of your environments, behaviors, comfort zones and tools, and that picture becomes a self-management system made for you. It works alongside your doctor and therapist, never in place of medication or therapy.
Researchers, clinicians and organizations who want to evaluate the Bipolar Advantage model are welcome to talk with us. Contact us to discuss collaboration opportunities.