Expanding bipolar outreach during college

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Mental Health Research
• Young Adult Health

Background:

• Mood disorders, including bipolar disorder (BD) and depression, significantly impact young adults, particularly in the college setting.
• Early identification and intervention are crucial for managing these conditions and improving long-term outcomes.
• The Affective Illness to Recovery: STudent Access to Rapid Treatment (FAIRSTART) program was developed to address these needs in community college students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and clinical significance of tracking mania and depression symptoms in community college students.
• To assess the effectiveness of an early identification and intervention program for mood disorders in this population.

Main Methods:

• The FAIRSTART program provided diagnostic consultation, short-term care, and community referrals to 54 students (aged 18-28) experiencing manic symptoms.
• Participants were assessed using the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for BD (STEP-BD) Affective Disorders Evaluation (ADE) and followed using the STEP-BD Clinical Monitoring Form.
• The study included students with various mood disorders, with 70% diagnosed with bipolar disorder (BD I/II/NOS).

Main Results:

• A significant improvement in depression (SUM-D) and mania (SUM-M) scores was observed in patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
• Among participants with bipolar disorder, 44.7% reported recovery by the time they transitioned from the FAIRSTART program.
• The average illness duration was 9.1 years, indicating the long-term nature of these mood disorders.

Conclusions:

• Short-term, early intervention for mood symptoms in community college students is feasible and leads to significant symptom improvement.
• The FAIRSTART program demonstrates potential for effectively managing mood disorders in transitional-age young adults.
• Further research with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods is recommended to fully understand the program's impact on mania symptom trajectories.