Table 2 Clinical characteristics of participants in the Control (n = 93) and Intervention (n = 103) groups at baseline (T0)
| Â | Control | Intervention |
|---|---|---|
M (SD) | M (SD) | |
Age diagnosed with BPII | 32.10 (12.29) | 32.54 (10.05) |
| Â | n (%) | n (%) |
Years since diagnosis | ||
 < 1 year | 14 (15.1) | 20 (19.4) |
 1–5 years | 35 (37.6) | 33 (32.0) |
 > 5 years | 44 (47.3) | 50 (48.5) |
Previous mental health diagnosis other than BPII (yes) | 66 (71.0) | 69 (67.0) |
BPII episodes (perceived) frequency | ||
 Rapid cycling (4 or more times per year) | 58 (62.4) | 66 (64.1) |
 2–3 times per year | 25 (26.9) | 25 (24.3) |
 Once per year or less often | 10 (10.7) | 12 (11.7) |
BPII episodes (perceived) type | ||
 Mainly depressive episodes | 48 (51.6) | 49 (47.6) |
 Equal depression/hypomania | 35 (37.6) | 41 (39.8) |
 Mainly hypomanic episodes | 4 (4.3) | 8 (7.8) |
 Mainly euthymic/subsyndromal | 6 (6.5) | 5 (4.9) |
Current medication (Yes; e.g., Lithium, Lamotrigine) | 76 (81.7) | 83 (80.6) |
Current psychological treatment (Yes; e.g., CBT, ACT) | 53 (57.0) | 58 (56.3) |
Current goal of BPII treatment | ||
 Prevent recurrence/relapse | 69 (74.2) | 78 (75.7) |
 Treat current depression/hypomania | 15 (16.2) | 18 (17.5) |
 Other (e.g., Reduce length and severity of episodes) | 9 (9.7) | 7 (6.8) |
Other chronic medical conditions (Yes) | 40 (43.0) | 37 (35.9) |
Health professionals seen about BPII (> 1 may apply) | ||
 Psychiatrist | 86 (92.5) | 100 (97.1) |
 GP | 77 (82.8) | 88 (85.4) |
 Psychologist | 69 (74.2) | 70 (68.0) |
 Counsellor | 22 (23.7) | 31 (30.1) |
 Mental health care nurse | 22 (23.7) | 24 (23.3) |
 Other health professional (e.g., mental health support worker, peer support worker, acupuncturist) | 4 (4.3) | 6 (5.8) |
Family attended consultation/s (Yes) | 49 (52.7) | 48 (46.6) |
Usual attendance in consultations | ||
 Patient alone | 79 (84.9) | 83 (80.6) |
 Sometimes alone or accompanied | 12 (12.9) | 14 (13.6) |
 Attends accompanied | 2 (2.2) | 6 (5.8) |