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

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Mental Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Less than 50% of individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) receive optimal care.
• Consensus methods engage stakeholders to identify priorities and solutions for improving BD care.
• This scoping review examines consensus methodologies applied to advancing BD care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify, map, and synthesize evidence on consensus methods used in bipolar disorder (BD) care.
• To understand the application and effectiveness of consensus-building approaches in BD research and practice.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review following JBI methodologies was conducted.
• Systematic searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycInfo, and CINAHL (2000-2023) were performed.
• Included primary peer-reviewed articles using evidence-informed consensus methods with adults with BD, caregivers, or family members.

Main Results:

• Nine studies met the inclusion criteria, involving people with lived experience, caregivers, providers, and advocates.
• Common consensus methods included Delphi, online surveys, focus groups, panels, and prioritization rankings.
• Identified limitations were participant diversity, lack of co-design, low retention, and absence of clear guidelines.

Conclusions:

• Consensus methods are valuable for informing research investment and developing healthcare systems and guidelines for BD.
• Recommendations are provided for future applications of these methods in BD populations.
• Limitations include English-only publications, exclusion of non-BD mood disorders, and exclusion of youth.