Development of digital intervention through a mobile phone application as an adjunctive treatment for bipolar disorder: MyBee project

Abstract

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a complex and severe mental illness with high mortality and relapse rates. Psychoeducational interventions based on scientific evidence could increase treatment adherence rates through a better comprehension of the illness. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of a digital intervention using a mobile phone application as adjunctive treatment for BD. The study has been conducted since March 2019 and is divided in three phases: (1) mobile application development process and assessment, (2) pilot trial, and (3) evaluation and controlled trial. During the first phase MyBee app was developed with the following axes: general information about BD and its course, BD comorbidities and available treatments, lifestyle, sleep quality, diet, suicide and stigma, stress management, and relaxation exercises based on mindfulness techniques. The second phase was the 12-week long pilot trial, which used a quasi-experimental design and aimed to evaluate both the content of the digital intervention and the functionality of the MyBee app. Following, the controlled trial was conducted to compare the digital intervention through a mobile phone application as adjunctive treatment for BD, with a control group without intervention over a period of 12 weeks. Online-based strategies through mobile applications have been an important strategy to monitor symptoms, offer self-management, improve treatment adherence, and prevent relapse among BD patients.