Quality of Life, Stigma and Bipolar Disorder: 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. As the image illustrates, the study has 3 components: Stigma, wellness, and quality of life.
About the research:
The study targets two groups: people living with bipolar disorder and healthcare providers. Research activities are being conducted across two study sites: Vancouver, B.C., and Toronto, Ontario.
Click on the links below to learn more about the research methods and results for each study component:
Bipolar Disorder Self Management Strategies (to come)
CREST.BD researchers have pioneered the understanding of stigma and quality of life in bipolar disorder (led by Erin Michalak), and also have unique expertise in implementation science (led by Sagar Parikh). These skills were unified to produce unique programs for both people with BD and their health care providers. At a direct level, these projects have the potential to alter clinical practice. At another level, they will allow for the development and testing of new knowledge translation (KT) methods that will itself be new research in implementation science.
Team members actively involved in this application include co-lead investigators Erin Michalak (University of British Columbia) and Sagar Parikh (University of Toronto), with a special role for “Decision-Maker” Victoria Maxwell and co-investigators Jehannine Austin, Rachelle Hole, Mark Lau, Jamie Livingston, Roumen Milev, Barbara Pesut, Melinda Suto, Greg Murray, Sheri Johnson and Steve Hinshaw. The team is being supported in meeting the goals of this project by its Community Steering Committee.
