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World Bipolar Day – Getting research findings into the hands of those who need them

March 27th, 2017 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized

pfr-banner-post-1Dr. Erin Michalak on World Bipolar Day: “Canada is a world leader in generating good science on bipolar disorder, and in getting these scientific findings into the hands of people who need them”

World Bipolar Day

picture 744_facebookThe vision of WBD is to bring world awareness to bipolar disorders and eliminate social stigma

Each year on the date of artist Vincent van Gogh’s birthday, March 30th, a group of organizations including the International Bi-Polar Foundation, declare a World Bipolar Awareness Day. Van Gogh suffered from mental illness throughout his life and was posthumously diagnosed as probably having a bipolar condition.

Both depression and bipolar disorder are mental illnesses that affect mood. But unlike depression, with bipolar disorder folks experience episodes of depression and episodes of mania — or a less-severe form of mania called hypomania. An episode of depression in bipolar disorder is the same as other types of depression, while mania is an unusually high mood or irritability for the person, often accompanied by excessive energy. Episodes of depression or mania generally last for a period of time, though a small number of people with bipolar disorder may experience episodes that change quickly.

You can find out more about bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses at the Canadian Mental Health Association online at cmha.ca.

New directions in bipolar disorder research, treatment and care

picture 744fCREST.BD empowers communities to engage in bipolar disorder research

A University of British Columbia-based group called CREST.BD is researching the psycho-social issues associated with bipolar disorder. The Collaborative Research Team to Study Psychosocial Issues in Bipolar Disorder…or CREST.BD for short…uses a pioneering participatory approach.

Researchers, healthcare providers, and perhaps most importantly, people who live with bipolar disorder and their allies, work together to improve health and quality of life in people with bipolar disorder. CREST.BD empowers communities to engage in bipolar disorder research.

Dr. Erin Michalak

picture 750_erin michalakDr. Erin Michalak is the lead researcher at CREST.BD and a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Her background is in psychology, with a PhD awarded from the University of Wales College of Medicine in the United Kingdom. Dr. Michalak’s research interests are in bipolar disorder, quality of life, knowledge translation, self-management, e-health, seasonal and nonseasonal depression, and assessment scales for mood disorders.

Dr. Michalak’s research has been supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, and the Vancouver Foundation, amongst others. She has secured over two million dollars as a PI on operating grants, and over five million as a Co-I. Dr. Michalak is the founder and leader of CREST.BD and has over 80 publications in the mental health arena.

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