Evidence-Based Interventions for bipolar disorder (EBI-BD)

Status: Ongoing
Project Lead: Marco Solmi and Jess Fiedorowicz
Main Research Contact: Marco Solmi

In Canada, approximately 2% of people will experience bipolar disorder in their lifetime. People living with bipolar disorder may spend up to half their time with active symptoms, with symptoms of depression being the most common. These patients are at higher risk of dying by suicide and other physical health conditions. The treatment of bipolar disorder is complex and can include any combination of drug therapy, brain stimulation, psychotherapy, and treatments targeting circadian rhythm (the 24-hour internal clock in our brain that control cycles of alertness and sleepiness by responding to light changes in our environment). While treatment guidelines for bipolar disorder do exist, it can be difficult to keep them up to date with the large amount of research that is published every year.

To address this, we have created the Evidence-Based Interventions for bipolar disorder (EBI-BD) database, which is an an open-access platform storing current best scientific evidence about the efficacy and acceptability of interventions for people with bipolar disorder. The goal is for this tool to be used by clinicians, policy makers, persons with bipolar disorder, and their families to guide decisions around treatment. Among clinicians and policy makers, EDI-BD aims to informed evidence-based guidelines about the treatment of bipolar disorder by providing easy access to the scientific literature. For patients with bipolar disorder and their families, it provides educational materials about bipolar disorder and possible treatment options.