The OXTEXT team are gathering a cohort of people who have bipolar disorder. We currently have over 200 participants in the cohort but we are aiming to get 400.  Members of the OXTEXT cohort will get the chance to use the True Colours self monitoring system. Their experiences with True Colours, and their opinions about it - such as what they like, or don’t like, or find unhelpful - will guide its future development. By charting the progress of people actively self managing through True Colours we will be able to see if it improves their health and if it has other benefits.

To join the cohort you must be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, be over 16 years of age and be comfortable using text messaging or email. Being a member of the cohort will not affect any other treatments you may be receiving for bipolar disorder. You can continue your existing treatments.

If you are interested and get in touch with the OXTEXT office, we will send you an information pack explaining more about the project and asking you to sign a consent form saying you wish to take part. You will then be asked to attend a research assessment. This can take up to two hours, and can be organised at a time and place convenient to you. Any travel expenses can be refunded. In it, your clinical history will be taken and you’ll be asked to complete some neuropsychological tests on a computer. These include memory tasks and the assessment of emotion in people’s faces. You may also provide a blood sample for DNA testing and saliva for cortisol, but this is optional. Any information you provide will be kept confidential. You will then be signed up and shown how to use the True Colours mood monitoring system.

After you get used to using True Colours, we might invite you to take part in a clinical trial. This looks at ways of trying to maximise the benefits of using True Colours through improved self management techniques.

You may notice that OXTEXT is different from some medical research. In everything we do, we try to be transparent and collaborative. We have involved patients at every stage of planning. Much of what we do is guided by feedback from people with bipolar already self managing using True Colours. If we ask anything of you, we explain what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. All our findings and publications will be made accessible on this site.