Lindner Center of Hope Researchers Join Novel Bipolar Research and Clinical Care Network

Lindner Center of Hope/University of Cincinnati researchers have received a $2.3 million gran to join the Breakthrough Discoveries for Thriving with Bipolar Disorder (BD²) Integrated Network, a collaborative research and clinical care model with a mission to improve care, interventions and outcomes for people living with bipolar disorder.

The BD² Integrated Network is a novel, two-pronged approach connecting bipolar disorder research and care. It combines a traditional longitudinal cohort study of 4,000 participants and a learning health network to iteratively improve outcomes for people with bipolar disorder. Clinical sites have accelerated recruitment, with more than 500 individuals already participating in the study.

 The new institutions expand the BD² Integrated Network to 10 sites alongside the six inaugural sites: Brigham and Women’s Hospital-McLean Hospital, University of California Los Angeles, Johns Hopkins University, Mayo Clinic, University of Michigan, and UTHealth Houston.

Bipolar disorder is a highly complex and heterogeneous disorder and more than 70% of people with bipolar disorder are misdiagnosed at least once. It takes seven years on average to diagnose bipolar disorder, and less than 50% of those who are diagnosed find an effective treatment. The BD² Integrated Network will propel clinical improvement in bipolar disorder treatment and diagnosis through the combined efforts of deep phenotyping, consensus guideline adherence and development, and integration of research and care across sites.

                             

Susan McElroy, MD, Lindner Center of Hope Chief Research Officer, will serve as a site clinical co-lead. Francisco Romo-Nava, MD, PhD, Lindner Center of Hope Associate Chief Research Officer, will serve as a site research co-lead.  Drs. McElroy and Romo-Nava will be working alongside other University of Cincinnati researchers.

“The BD² Integrated Network is an unprecedented collaborative effort to advance the clinical care model of patients with bipolar disorder through research and innovation. The selection of the Lindner Center of Hope in collaboration with the University of Cincinnati to join this groundbreaking initiative honors the superb work being conducted here and the effort towards improving the lives of individuals suffering from bipolar disorder,” said Romo-Nava.

Lindner Center of HOPE in Mason, Ohio is a comprehensive mental health center providing exceptional mental health services and improving the health of our community. We achieve this through expertise, innovation, research, education, advocacy, and putting people first. We start by meeting individuals wherever they are on their journey and relentlessly pursue excellence in all we do.

 Lindner Center of Hope offers patient-centered, scientifically advanced care for individuals suffering with mental illness. A state-of-the-science, mental health center and charter member of the National Network of Depression Centers, the Center provides psychiatric hospitalization, residential services, and substance use disorders treatment for adults, outpatient services for all ages, and partial hospitalization for individuals age 12-years-old and older, and research. The Center is enhanced by its partnerships with the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center as their clinicians are ranked among the best providers locally, nationally, and internationally. Patients and families who may benefit from Lindner Center services may call (513) 536-HOPE (4673) for an initial assessment. Learn more at LindnerCenterofHope.org