MAPP: Imagery-focused Therapy for Bipolar Disorder

Overview

Bipolar Disorder (BD) (previously known as "manic depression") is a severe mental health illness affecting at least 1% of the population and with annual NHS cost estimated at £342 million. It is characterised by alternating episodes of acute mood swings: depression and "mania" (mood elation). BD also comes with less severe mood swings we call "mood instability", and ongoing high levels of anxiety that impair well-being even during periods between the acute mood breakdowns. Anxiety and mood instability are associated with worse outcome of the disorder. All these symptoms can be accompanied by the presence of troublesome mental images (e.g. seeing a memory in the mind's eye) such as intrusive "flashbacks" of negative past events. Recent studies suggest that individuals with BD experience more vivid, compelling and upsetting mental images compared to other patient groups and this could contribute to their clinical difficulties. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a well established and successful psychological therapy used in the National Health Service (NHS), UK but as yet with limited efficacy in BD. Targeting mental imagery has long been part of general CBT. In particular, imagery-based treatment techniques have proved successful in anxiety disorders, but have not been brought to CBT for Bipolar Disorder yet. Our study Mood Action Psychology Programme (MAPP) investigates the delivery of a brief imagery-focused cognitive therapy (imCT) intervention to people with BD, studying a series of patients in detail one by one a "case series"). We offer a structured and individualised psychological treatment in line with the aims of NHS guidelines. The imCT protocol has been successfully delivered and audited in our psychological service in Oxford (OxMAPP). The proposed MAPP study aims to formally assess for the first time the effectiveness of imCT. In particular we hypothesise that imCT via the Mood Action Psychology Programme (MAPP) will result in (i) reduced levels of anxiety and (ii) reduced levels of low mood after treatment compared to baseline (both measured over 4 weeks) in individuals with BD. Overall, this works aims to contribute to improved psychological treatment for BD.

Mood Action Psychology Programme (MAPP) is a study that investigates the delivery of an imagery-focused cognitive therapy (imCT) intervention to people with Bipolar Disorder (BD) via a single case series (N = 15) design. MAPP offers patients a structured and individualised psychological treatment (imCT) for BD inline with the aims of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, UK guidelines (NICE, 2006) and as already developed and audited in the OxMAPP psychological service that was run within the Professorial Mood Disorders clinic at the Warneford Hospital, Oxford. In addition MAPP aims to improve the understanding of psychological therapy by formally assessing the effectiveness of imCT in reducing anxiety and low mood symptoms. Secondary aims are to test the hypothesis that reductions in anxiety and low mood levels are mediated by changes in problematic imagery phenomena, and investigating the impact of imCT on interepisodic mood instability, coping skills and general functioning of patients with BD. The short term (i.e. at 6 month follow up) effect on preventing relapses of (hypo)manic and depressive episodes is also evaluated. The rationale for this approach derives from current evidence of (i) the uncertain efficacy in BD of traditional CBT relying exclusively on verbal thought modification approaches (Scott et al., 2006), (ii) the presence of dysfunctional mental imagery in BD patients (Bonsall et al., 2012; Hales et al., 2011; Ivins et al., under review) alongside high rates of anxiety comorbidity (Simon et al., 2004) and (iii) the success of imagery-based treatment techniques in anxiety disorders such as PTSD and social phobia (Ehlers \& Clark, 2008). A case-series approach allows flexible and feasible but robust testing of the novel imCT treatment protocol with the aim of optimising it for further investigation in future randomised controlled clinical trials. MAPP provides structured individualised treatment, which includes an extended mapping (i.e. assessment) phase for patients with BD based on cognitive behavioural principles. Where appropriate, MAPP offers a brief cognitive therapy intervention drawing on mental imagery (imCT). It includes a focus on addressing anxiety symptoms that are often present and problematic in BD. The patients and clinician jointly identify an agreed treatment target (e.g. trauma memories, social anxiety, intrusive imagery) which is hypothesised to have impact on the mood stability of patients. The agreed treatment target is one which is judged to be tractable and amenable to change in a brief intervention using imagery focused techniques. Participation in the MAPP study is suitable for outpatients with a diagnosis of BD who would like to gain a better understanding of their symptoms, are interested in adding a psychological approach to their mood management, and are happy to take part in clinical research. The programme involves weekly symptom monitoring, as well as committing to weekly therapy sessions (10 sessions), and is suitable for patients who are agreeable to both of these. Treatment is offered to patients who comply with the daily mood monitoring active run in phase. Referrals of young patients (18-25 years old) are encouraged, given evidence that psychological treatment might be more effective at the onset of BD, in particular when targeting anxiety and mood instability. Within MAPP, psychological treatment is delivered by a team of therapists. The therapists are clinical psychologists and psychiatrists with specific imCT training. Typically two co-therapists are present in each session, one of which can attend the session also via Skype. MAPP is integrated in psychiatric secondary care within two NHS trusts, the Cambridge and Peterborough Foundation NHS Trust and the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. In both NHS trusts imCT is given alongside psychiatric medication as usual. Patients enrolled in the study maintain their ongoing contact with other core clinical services.