Client-led Online Therapy for People Diagnosed With Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar spectrum disorder (previously known as manic depression) is a diagnostic term used to describe experiences of extreme, and sometimes enduring, fluctuations in mood that interfere with a person's life or cause significant distress. Individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder experience periods of depressed mood and periods of elevated or irritable mood. In many cases, this amounts to clinical depression, or mania that entails hospital admission. Periods of mood fluctuation usually involve extreme changes to usual thinking and behaviour. During a period of depression people might feel hopeless and suicidal, withdraw from social activities and have difficulty functioning, resulting in a neglect of self-care and basic needs. During mania people might experience delusional beliefs, become highly distractible and prone to engaging in high-risk activities such as excessive spending or drug-taking. Both mood states can result in significant impairment in work, social or daily functioning and may result in hospitalisation. Many people with a diagnosis of a bipolar spectrum disorder experience multiple relapses, causing them significant long-term disability. Meeting the needs of this client group can pose a real challenge for services given the complexity of fluctuating mood states, high levels of impulsivity and associated risk, and additional difficulties that people can also experience (such as anxiety and trauma). Current guidelines recommend that people who have received a diagnosis of a bipolar spectrum disorder are offered an evidence-based psychological intervention as well as medication. These interventions are typically time-limited and guided by a specific manual with emphasis on alleviating symptoms and relapse prevention. The quality of the evidence supporting such interventions has been questioned. There has also been doubt cast on the effectiveness of these interventions. Treatment adherence is also considered suboptimal, with relatively high drop-out rates. Access to talking therapies for those with complex needs has been described as 'notoriously poor'. People diagnosed with a bipolar spectrum disorder often report reasons for distress other than symptoms and prioritise a fulfilling, purposeful life over remaining relapse-free. Talking freely to a caring, approachable therapist is valued, as are interventions that facilitate control over aspects of life beyond mood. Recovery is achievable when people are empowered to follow a self- determined path, take ownership and confront longstanding problems. Recent advances in cognitive therapy have departed from traditional relapse prevention to offer a theory-based approach that helps people understand their individual experience of bipolar spectrum disorder and target current problems and control over life goals (rather than focusing on controlling swings). Although patients perceived the intervention to be beneficial, a trial did not find significant improvement compared to treatment as usual. Patients wanted more sessions and greater flexibility in scheduling, and many reported problems beyond their diagnosis. More client-led approaches that are not tied to the specific diagnosis could better suit the therapeutic needs of people diagnosed with a bipolar spectrum disorder. One such approach is Method of Levels (MOL); an application of Perceptual Control Theory (PCT). PCT proposes that distress arises when people strive to achieve conflicting goals. People are typically able to resolve the conflict and re-establish control through a natural trial-and- error process. This process becomes disrupted when people remain unaware of the conflict. The questioning approach of MOL therefore aims to help people develop greater awareness of important goals and conflicts, and consider problems from new perspectives, thus generating their own solutions. For example, a client diagnosed with a bipolar spectrum disorder may work through their dilemma over whether to devote their life to their success as a creative writer, or to their relationship with their family; or they may be struggling between disclosing a past traumatic assault to the police to get justice, or to keep the experience to themselves for fear of reprisal or ridicule. MOL has potential advantages over existing psychological approaches; it offers flexible, client-led appointment scheduling, it can be applied to a range of problems causing distress, treatment is tailored to individual needs, and it aims to provide people with more choice and control over the interventions they receive. Perceived control, identified as a key mechanism of psychological change in MOL therapy, has been shown to contribute to decreased levels of overall distress. Perceived control has been linked to an increased awareness of the problem, an ability to talk freely and develop problem resolution. Client perceptions of control are closely related to their perceptions of helpfulness; both factors have been associated with effectiveness of therapy. MOL has shown promising results in a variety of settings, including primary care, secondary care and inpatient hospital settings. It has been applied to a range of problems, including complex mental health problems such as psychosis. Remote delivery of MOL via videoconferencing could further improve the level of flexibility and control offered to patients. There is promising evidence that video therapy can be clinically effective and acceptable to patients; when managed well it can also reduce costs for health services. Delivery via videoconferencing fits in with the flexible, client-led ethos of MOL, and is highly relevant given the current COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions on face to face therapy. MOL is interaction based, with no reliance on written information; it could be offered remotely from a practical perspective. It would seem that MOL has the potential to meet the needs of those who have received a diagnosis of a bipolar spectrum disorder, particularly when offered via videoconferencing. To date, there have been no published studies evaluating MOL as a potential intervention for bipolar spectrum disorder. The feasibility and acceptability of offering MOL via videoconferencing has not yet been established. The proposed study therefore aims to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of MOL, delivered via videoconferencing, as an intervention for people with a diagnosis of a bipolar spectrum disorder. Given the importance of perceived control within therapy, the study also aims to provide an opportunity to explore the elements of therapy that people want choice over and the impact and importance of these elements. Considering the effectiveness of the intervention (in terms of reduction of distress and improvements in functioning and goal attainment) is a secondary aim of the study. An additional secondary aim is to determine whether there is a link between how much control over therapy participants perceive themselves to have and the degree to which they generate new perspectives, thoughts and insights. The results of the study could help to inform future research into the clinical effectiveness of MOL for those with a diagnosis of a bipolar spectrum disorder, as well as the most effective methods of delivery for this therapy. It could also help inform developments in psychological therapies more broadly by considering the importance people place on perceiving themselves to have more choice and to feel in control during therapy and the impact this has on psychological change and overall wellbeing.