An online course on daily rhythms didn't make routines more regular than emailed reading
Who it’s about: Adults, People with a health condition
- No difference
An online course with a daily log made routines no more regular than emailed reading on the same topics.
- Action: Track your progresstested
- Rule: Through an online programmetested
- Rule: Every daytested
- Action: Learn how the problem worksused
Small randomised trial of 47 adults with bipolar disorder · vs people who got emailed reading on the same topics · they rated themselves · ⚠ many people dropped out; numbers unreliable; summary claims more than the results show
- No difference
Adding short weekly calls from a helper to the online course made routines no more regular than the course alone.
- Rule: With a coach or therapisttested
- Rule: Check in once a weektested
- Action: Track your progressused
- Rule: Through an online programmeused
Small randomised trial of 47 adults with bipolar disorder · vs people who used the online course alone · they rated themselves · ⚠ many people dropped out; numbers unreliable; summary claims more than the results show
The study
Who took part
47 adults with bipolar disorder and raised low or high mood symptoms, from family doctors and a research list in Pittsburgh, USA. They were about 42 on average, and about 3 in 4 were women.
What they did
For 12 weeks, one group used an automated online course. It had a 15 to 20 minute lesson each week and a short daily log of their routine. A second group used the same course plus a weekly 5 to 10 minute call from a helper. A third group got 12 weekly emails with reading on the same topics.
What happened
No group made their routines more regular than the others on either questionnaire. All three groups said their routines got a bit more regular over the 12 weeks. Only about 1 in 4 people on the course finished all 12 lessons, and some of the paper's numbers don't match.
Source
A randomized pilot study of Rhythms And You (RAY): An internet-based program for bipolar disorder administered with and without clinical helper support in primary care (2021)
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.08.025 (opens in a new tab)Tools in this study
Rule · how often3
Check in once a weekA short weekly review of progress: a call, message or consultation, or going over your own log. Not the weekly sessions of a course.
Action4
Learn how the problem worksPsychoeducation about procrastination, habits, sleep, routines or ADHD.
