The Collaborative Research Team to study psychosocial issues in Bipolar Disorder (CREST.BD) is a multidisciplinary collaborative network of researchers, healthcare providers and community members (people living with bipolar disorder, their family members and supports) dedicated to researching and exchanging knowledge about psychological and social factors in bipolar disorder. Our aim is to enhance the health and wellness of people living with the condition.
The Quality of Life in Bipolar Disorder scale (QoL.BD) is the first quality of life questionnaire specifically designed for people with bipolar disorder. It was developed in partnership with people with lived experience of bipolar disorder, their family members or supporters, and clinicians/researchers with expertise in bipolar disorder. Quality of life refers to "individuals’ perceptions of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns” (World Health Organization, 1995). By measuring quality of life (QoL), we can help people who live with bipolar disorder clarify which domains of their life might need attention, assist clinicians in defining goals for treatment (see our video for healthcare providers) and support research to understand the effects of different treatments. The QoL Tool is the online version of the QoL.BD.
The CREST.BD network has been researching, refining measurement of, and exchanging knowledge on quality of life in people with bipolar disorder for over a decade now. Our research team has developed a condition-specific scale to measure quality of life in bipolar disorder and an online version of the scale, the QoL Tool. Research into the QoL Tool, specifically, is continuing to examine whether it performs in a similar manner psychometrically to the paper and pencil version (the QoL.BD). This study has been approved by the University of British Columbia's Research Ethics Board, and was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
If you are a clinician, please see our video for healthcare providers for more information.