A randomised controlled feasibility trial comparing culturally adapted psychoeducation and treatment as usual for persons with bipolar disorders in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND

Bipolar disorders are a major cause of disability worldwide, with most of the disease burden attributed to those in low- and middle-income countries, including Nigeria. There is limited evidence on culturally appropriate interventions for bipolar disorders in Nigeria.

AIMS

The study aims to examine the feasibility, and acceptability of culturally adapted psychoeducation (CaPE) for treating bipolar disorders.

METHOD

A randomised controlled trial (RCT) compared CaPE plus treatment as usual (TAU) with TAU alone among 34 persons with bipolar disorders in Jos, Nigeria. CaPE comprised 12 group sessions of in-person psychoeducation lasting approximately 90 min each, delivered on a weekly basis by clinical researchers supervised by clinical psychologists and consultant psychiatrists. The primary outcome was feasibility, measured by participants' recruitment and retention rates. Other outcomes included acceptability as measured by the Service Satisfaction Scale (SSS), Brief Bipolar Disorder Symptom Scale (BBDSS), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Quality-of-Life scale (EQ5D). Outcomes were assessed at baseline and weeks 12 and 24. Focus group ( = 10) and individual interviews ( = 5) were conducted with the CaPE + TAU group, recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.

RESULTS

The CaPE+TAU group ( = 17) recorded a high participant recruitment and retention rate of 86% across 12 sessions, and also recorded a higher level of satisfaction with SSS compared with the TAU alone group; 87.5% indicated very satisfied compared with 66.7% indicated not sure in the TAU group. In terms of clinical outcomes, for PHQ-9 scores the intervention group showed a reduction from baseline to end of intervention (EOI) and follow-up, with differences of -12.01 and -7.39, respectively (both < 0.001). The EQ5D index showed a notable improvement in the intervention group at both EOI and follow-up ( < 0.001). Lastly, BBDS scores decreased significantly in the CaPE+TAU group at both EOI and follow-up, with differences of -21.45 and -15.76 (both < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The RCT of CaPE is a feasible, acceptable and culturally appropriate treatment option for bipolar disorders in Nigeria. Further adequately powered RCTs evaluating the intervention's clinical and cost-effectiveness are warranted.