World Bipolar Day provides an opportunity to highlight our specialist Bipolar research clinic at Oxford Health NHS FT (OHFT) which is helping to improve understanding, treatment and care for people living with Bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that affects mood, energy levels and concentration. People may experience periods of low mood (depression) and high or elevated mood (mania or hypomania). With the right support and treatment, many people with bipolar disorder lead full, meaningful lives.
The Bipolar Disorder Research Clinic is supported by our BRC and delivered through the Oxford Health Clinical Research Facility (OH CRF).
The clinic provides a clear, supportive route for people to access specialist research‑led assessment and care.
Adults can self‑refer or be referred by their GP or another specialist to the clinic, and patients are assessed by experienced clinical and research teams. For those who choose to, clinic visits also open the door to taking part in research studies, helping shape future treatments while receiving detailed specialist assessment.
The Bipolar Disorder Research Clinic
The Bipolar Disorder Research Clinic focuses on improving care for people with bipolar disorder, particularly around bipolar depression and long‑term mood instability. Research here has focused on new ways to monitor mood over time, digital tools such as mindLAMP, and clinical trials testing new interventions (including neurostimulation) and psychological approaches.
In collaboration with other sites across the UK and internationally, the bipolar clinic has played a key role in delivering over 100 clinical trials, supporting improvements in care across Oxford Health services and beyond.
Professor of Psychiatry at University of Oxford and Clinical Lead at the Bipolar Research Clinic, Professor Andrea Cipriani said: “Taking part in research improves the clinical outcomes of patients. Research clinics like this allow us to work alongside people with lived experience to test better ways of understanding and treating bipolar disorder with the aim of improving their quality of life.”
People who take part in research at Oxford Health play a vital role in shaping understanding of bipolar disorder and other mental health conditions. From studies exploring innovative and repurposed treatments, to research testing digital tools, psychological approaches and better ways of delivering care, their involvement has helped and continues to help inform guidance, influence practice and support more personalised care.
OH CRF Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Engage group member told us “As someone living with bipolar disorder, being involved in research as a PPI member is super important to me. It makes sure that research about bipolar is done ‘with’ and ‘by’ us not just ‘for’ us or ‘to’ us. It means that people in the bipolar community help shape every stage of the research process from the initial proposal, through study design, to interpreting findings, and dissemination. This helps make research on bipolar more scientifically robust by making sure it is respectful, relevant, and impactful for people in our community.”
Having research‑ready participants is essential to this progress, enabling studies to start sooner, match people to suitable opportunities, and make best use of limited resources. Most importantly, it ensures research is grounded in real experiences, helping findings remain relevant, inclusive and meaningful for people using services now and in the future.
Speciality Doctor at OH CRF, Dr Andrea Paggi said:
“At the Bipolar Research Clinic, we take time to understand each person’s experiences through careful, specialist assessment. People who come to the clinic are central to everything we do; by choosing to take part in research, participants help us build the evidence needed to improve understanding, treatment and care for others living with bipolar disorder.”
*This clinic does not replace routine NHS care and is not for emergency support but offers specialist assessment and opportunities to take part in research alongside existing care.
For further information please contact us by email:
Bipolar Disorder Research Clinic: oxfordhealth.bipolarclinic@nhs.net
