Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39655508›Full record

ArticleThe British journal of clinical psychology2025

Patient experiences of behavioural therapy for bipolar depression: A qualitative study.

Sakir Yilmaz, Anna Hancox, Molly Price, Jemma Regan, Barney Dunn, Heather O'Mahen, Kim Wright

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Article in The British journal of clinical psychology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Sakir YilmazDepartment of Psychology, Abdullah Gul University, Kayseri, Turkey.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1896-1742
Anna HancoxUnaffiliated.
Molly PriceUniversity of Plymouth, Greenbank, UK.
Jemma ReganDevon Partnership NHS Trust, Exeter, UK.
Barney DunnMood Disorders Centre, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
Heather O'MahenDepartment of Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
Kim WrightDepartment of Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.

Funding

Ministry of National Education of Turkey
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlthough multiple qualitative studies have explored participants' experiences of behavioural activation (BA) for unipolar depression, none have investigated the experiences of BA in people with bipolar depression. This is of particular interest because qualitative studies concerning the experience of receiving therapy can help inform the theory of change underpinning the intervention.

aimThe purpose of this study was to explore the experiences and perspectives of individuals with bipolar disorder who received a course of one-to-one BA for bipolar depression. We sought to explore participants' experience of the effects of BA therapy, both proximally and distally.

methodSemi-structured interviews were conducted with nine individuals meeting research diagnostic criteria for bipolar I or II disorder who had received up to 20 sessions of BA adapted for bipolar depression. Thematic analysis using a framework approach was used to explore and describe the experiences of participants.

resultsParticipants' perspectives on the impact of therapy were categorized under four subthemes: client behaviour inside and outside sessions, changes in clients' perspectives, the impact on symptoms and impact on life and functioning.

conclusionsParticipants' accounts of the impact of therapy were broadly consistent with the theory underpinning a behavioural approach. Participants described a central role for perspective change, and particularly increased acceptance of the self and mood states, as facilitating behavioural changes and more distal benefits. Process evaluations embedded in future trials may include quantitative measures of key processes described by our participants, as well as those clearly implied by the behavioural theory of depression.

Indexed as

Behavior TherapyBipolar DisorderAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedQualitative Researchbehavioural therapybipolar depressionpatient experience

Identifiers

PMID39655508
PMCPMC12334977

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