
Supporting research
Combiner - research into management of bipolar
About the project
This study is being run by Professor Steven Marwaha at the University of Birmingham with sites located across:
- West Midlands (led by Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Trust (BSMHT))
- East Midlands (led by Nottinghamshire Mental Health Trust)
- Northeast (led by Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust)
- London (led by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and Camden and Islington)
Other sites may also be available.
The trial involves taking a combination of lithium and quetiapine for the treatment of bipolar. This is compared to lithium by itself, or quetiapine by itself (otherwise known as monotherapies).
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The Bipolar UK research division is currently helping the Combiner study team to recruit participants.
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The Combiner study team is actively recruiting across health trusts in England.
Find details here
Integrated Bipolar Parenting Intervention (IBPI)
About the project
Research has shown that around 60% of children with parents who have bipolar can face their own mental health issues, which may lead to emotional and behavioural problems. These difficulties can increase stress for their parents and disrupt family life.
Currently, there are currently no available support programmes tailored specifically for individuals with bipolar.
Integrated Bipolar Parenting Intervention (IBPI) is a comprehensive online programme which aims to provide parents with bipolar the tools they need to achieve emotional and behavioural stability for their children. By offering online support, IBPI also helps parents feel less stressed and more confident about their parenting skills.
To achieve these goals, the programme blends parenting support with practical training in managing bipolar symptoms. Accessible through electronic devices, IBPI covers areas, such as:
- emotional management
- stress reduction
- making parenting enjoyable
- helping children acquire new skills
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The Bipolar UK research division is currently helping the IBPI study team to recruit participants.
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The IBPI study team is actively recruiting. Find details here
Lithium Point Of Care testing (LiPOC)
About the project
This study is being led by Dr Becci Strawbridge at King’s College London.
People taking lithium need regular blood tests to check that the dose they take is both effective and safe. Healthcare professionals call this lithium monitoring.
There are often challenges in lithium monitoring which mean that some people do not get their levels checked as regularly as they should.
The main aim of this study is to see whether monitoring can be improved using a ‘fingerprick’ blood test which can be done more flexibly in different healthcare settings and shows what someone’s lithium level is within minutes.
The LiPOC team is looking for people who are taking lithium who expect to have monitoring tests every three months to take part in the study. In the study, half of people will be randomly chosen to continue with their usual monitoring and half will be invited to try out the ‘fingerprick’ test instead.
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Currently the Bipolar UK research team is helping LiPOC set up the trial and waiting to start recruitment.
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Recruitment details will be posted here in autumn/winter 2025.
Understanding and Preventing Cardiovascular diseases in people taking Antipsychotic medications (PreCAP)
About the project
This study is being led by Dr Yu Fu at the University of Liverpool.
Antipsychotic medications are important for treating mental health conditions, but they increase the risk of developing physical health problems, such as increased blood sugar and blood pressure.
People who take antipsychotics are two to four times more likely to die from heart-related issues than those who do not.
The heart-related risks vary depending on the specific antipsychotic, but current treatments do not take these differences into account.
As a result, people on antipsychotics often get the same kind of care regardless of their specific needs, and disjointed care for their mental and physical health, which leads to poor long-term physical health and shorter life spans.
Despite the growing use of antipsychotic medications, health services are not effectively managing the heart health risks in these patients.
PreCAP is a data-driven, mixed methods study, aiming to find ways to prevent heart disease in people taking antipsychotics. By analysing anonymised healthcare data from UK patients, the team will compare the heart health risks and care in people prescribed different antipsychotics to people who are not taking these medications.
This study will help us understand the risks of heart disease in people who are taking antipsychotics. Using this knowledge, we will find practical ways to help people get the right care for both their mental and physical health.
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The Bipolar UK research team is involved with the lived experience element of the study and is helping with recruitment.
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Recruitment details will be posted here in autumn/winter 2025.