A pilot study of a brief self-distancing and perspective-broadening training package for bipolar disorder

Hill, Emma (2016) A pilot study of a brief self-distancing and perspective-broadening training package for bipolar disorder. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

Preview

PDF Download (4MB) | Preview

Abstract

Objectives
This pilot study investigated whether a training intervention comprising of decentering and reappraising, the Self-Distancing and Perspective-Broadening (SD-PB) package, was able to 1) reduce symptomatology or 2) improve the ability to decenter or perspective-take in individuals with Bipolar Disorder.
Design
The study employed a small N single case-series design with an “A-B” phase methodology.
Method
Six individuals diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder but in a euthymic state were recruited through the MRC-CBSU in Cambridge. The participants were asked to fill out daily mood measures of symptomatology for two weeks. Following this, the SD-PB training commenced, which comprised two face-to-face sessions and one week of daily homework, during this time participants were asked to continue to fill out daily mood measures of symptomatology. Several self-report measures of affective lability, anxiety, the ability to decenter and the ability to perspective-take were administered at four time points during the study and at an online two-week follow-up.
Results
Two participants were categorised as responders in terms of their reductions in mood symptomatology. The self-report measures showed that five out of six participants showed reductions in anxiety and improvements in the ability to decenter. Four participants showed reductions in affective lability and three participants showed improvements in the ability to perspective-take. Pre- and post-training measures showed all participants experienced some improvements in positive thinking and reductions in negative thinking.
Conclusions
The results indicate the SD-PB package has potential for reducing a range of symptomatology in BD and is able to bring about more helpful thinking styles. However, due to the limitations of the study these results should be interpreted with caution and more studies are needed in the future to build confidence in the package. The contribution this study has made to existing literature and the clinical applications are discussed.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
Depositing User:	Jackie Webb
Date Deposited:	19 Oct 2016 10:50
Last Modified:	19 Oct 2016 10:50
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/60990
DOI:

Downloads

Actions (login required)

View Item