Consensus building in bipolar disorder: A scoping review of consensus methods

Less than 50 % of people with bipolar disorder (BD) receive best-practice care. Consensus methods can address this gap by including BD knowledge-users in setting priorities and creating actionable solutions. The objective of this scoping review is to identify, map and synthesize the evidence on consensus methods used for advancing care for people with BD.

We conducted a scoping review according to JBI methodologies. Systematic searches were performed using MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycInfo, and CINAHL, for studies published in English, from 2000 to 2023. Only primary peer-reviewed articles that used evidence-informed consensus or prioritization methods that involved adults with BD and/or caregivers or family members were included. Articles were analyzed for: type-of-consensus methods; study characteristics; and methodological limitations.

Nine studies met our inclusion criteria. Participants of those studies included people with lived experience of BD, caregivers, healthcare providers, researchers and mental-health-advocates with lived experience. Five studies utilized Delphi as their consensus method; additional consensus methods included online surveys, focus groups, panels and prioritization rankings. The key methodological limitations that were identified were: participant diversity, lack of a co-design approach, low retention rates, and lack of guidelines for the approaches used.

Studies were published in English only, did not include non-BD mood disorders and excluded BD youth.

Studies utilizing consensus methods for persons living with BD have highlighted their utility for informing strategic research investment, and developing healthcare systems and guidelines. We provide recommendations for future applications of these methods in BD populations.