Research Projects
The CREST.BD team has a number of on-going research projects into bipolar issues, listed below.
See Research Participant Opportunities for a wide variety of ways to become involved in bipolar disorder research.
Wellness
Improving Care and Wellness in BD: A Collaborative Knowledge Translation Network
The team has recently heard that it is the recipient of a major funding award from CIHR in the organization’s 2010 ‘Network Catalyst – Knowledge Translation’ (link) competition. CREST.BD’s application was ranked first in the entire competition and was awarded 3 years of funding to support the growth of the BC-focused team into a Canada-wide Network. Read more…
Aging in Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar Disorder Later in Life: A mixed-methods, experiential sampling study
Drs. Norm O’Rourke (PI), Erin Michalak and Andrew Sixsmith (Co-PIs) , were recently awarded $722,402 in Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) operating funds for a 4-year multi-site grant entitled: ‘Bipolar disorder in later life: A mixed-methods, experiential sampling study over time’. This is a collaborative study that will increase our understanding of BD in older adults. A range of research methods, with a focus on characteristics of older populations (e.g., retirement, bereavement, concurrent physical illness), will be employed.
Read more…
Stigma & Quality of Life
Quality of Life, Stigma and BD: A Collaboration for Change
This 2-year Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) project was the top-ranked grant application in the 2009 / 2010 Knowledge-to-Action (KTA) funding competition. Too often, researchers create knowledge that doesn’t get applied: the purpose of KTA grants is to accelerate the translation of knowledge by linking researchers and knowledge-users to move knowledge into action. Read more…
QoL.BD Scale
Quality of life refers to our levels of personal satisfaction with life across various domains. By measuring quality of life, we can help people who live with BD, assist clinicians, and support research. Read more…
Recovery Narratives
Bipolar disorder can have a profound impact on the development of sense of self. In her clinical experience as a psychotherapist, team member Ros Irving observed that the process of making sense of people’s experiences with BD can be helped by developing a ‘recovery narrative’. Read more…
Community Engagement Days
Each year, CREST.BD holds a Community Consultation Day (CCD) on a topic selected by the team and its Community Consultation Group. The consultation days aim to develop research and exchange knowledge in areas of BD research. The events are typically attended by people who identify as having BD, their family, friends, and people who offer them support, as well as mental health practitioners. Read more…
