Over 1200 individuals with bipolar disorder in the UK have taken part in our research initiative True Colours, answering weekly questions online about their mood and other factors known to play a role in the condition including sleep and activity levels.
The True Colours tool was originally designed by colleagues at the University of Oxford for use in a clinical setting and is helping our research group learn more about how mood symptoms change over time in individuals with bipolar disorder and how they are affected by changes in routines, sleep and medications.
To date, the data from True Colours has enabled research into the complex interplay between sleep and mood and led to the first large-scale UK study comparing mental health prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic among individuals with bipolar disorder.
This research wouldn't have been possible without the help of our many BDRN supporters, especially our BDRN Research Champions who have written articles and blogs to share their experiences of using True Colours.
Some of our recent publications resulting from True Colours include:
Gordon-Smith, K., Saunders, K. E. A., Morton, T., Savage, J., South, M., Geddes, J., Craddock, N., Jones, I., & Jones, L. (2023). User perspectives on long-term remote active electronic self-monitoring of mood symptoms in bipolar spectrum disorders. Journal of affective disorders, 324, 325–333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.12.090
Lewis, K. J. S., Tilling, K., Gordon-Smith, K., Saunders, K. E. A., Di Florio, A., Jones, L., Jones, I., O'Donovan, M. C., & Heron, J. (2023). The dynamic interplay between sleep and mood: an intensive longitudinal study of individuals with bipolar disorder. Psychological medicine, 53(8), 3345–3354. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291721005377
Lewis, K. J. S., Gordon-Smith, K., Saunders, K. E. A., Dolman, C., South, M., Geddes, J., Craddock, N., Di Florio, A., Jones, I., & Jones, L. (2022). Mental health prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic in individuals with bipolar disorder: Insights from prospective longitudinal data. Bipolar disorders, 24(6), 658–666. https://doi.org/10.1111/bdi.13204
Gordon-Smith, K., Saunders, K. E., Savage, J., Craddock, N., Jones, I., & Jones, L. (2021). Have I argued with my family this week?”: What questions do those with lived experience choose to monitor their bipolar disorder? Journal of Affective Disorders, 281, 918–925. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.11.034