Consensus guidelines for carers of people with bipolar disorder

  • Mrs Lesley Berk, Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, Orygen Youth Health Research Centre,, University of Melbourne, Australia
  • Dr Claire Kelly, Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, University of Melbourne, Australia
  • Dr Seetal Dodd, Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Melbourne, Australia
  • Professor Michael Berk, Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, University of Melbourne, Australia
  • Professor Anthony Jorm, Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, University of Melbourne, Australia

Objectives
Close family and friends play a vital role in the care of adults with bipolar disorder, often without being informed about the illness and ways to deal with it. High carer burden and relationship breakdown contribute to morbidity. Difficulties in implementing specialized long-term family interventions in public settings necessitate the development of a range of psychoeducational approaches. This project aims to develop and evaluate guidelines, and then a brief online intervention to increase the range of resources available to carers.

Method
The Delphi method was used to obtain consensus between expert carers, consumers and clinicians from different countries about the content of the guidelines. This process combined the existing literature with suggestions from key stakeholders. The guidelines will be evaluated in follow-up questionnaires and inform the development of the online intervention.

Results
High rates of consensus were evident amongst the three expert panels (n=143) about what information to include in the guidelines. Panel members highlighted common and specific challenges faced by carers and suggestions for management. Items that lacked consensus revealed important differences in beliefs about the role of carers between the different panels.

Conclusion
There is no “one-size-fits all” solution to the difficulties experienced by carers, but accessible guidelines that address some of the challenges could be helpful. The online intervention will be piloted to assist carers to apply the guidelines to their own situations. More research is needed to understand conflicting beliefs between carers, clinicians and consumers as this might contribute to carer burden.