Internet use by patients with bipolar disorder: Results from an international multisite survey

Bauer R 1 , Conell J 1 , Glenn T 2 , Alda M 3 , Ardau R 4 , Baune BT 5 Show all authors , Berk M 6 , Bersudsky Y 7 , Bilderbeck A 8 , Bocchetta A 9 , Bossini L 10 , Castro AMP 11 , Cheung EY 12 , Chillotti C 4 , Choppin S 13 , Del Zompo M 9 , Dias R 14 , Dodd S 15 , Duffy A 16 , Etain B 17 , Fagiolini A 10 , Hernandez MF 18 , Garnham J 3 , Geddes J 8 , Gildebro J 19 , Gonzalez-Pinto A 18 , Goodwin GM 8 , Grof P 20 , Harima H 21 , Hassel S 22 , Henry C 23 , Hidalgo-Mazzei D 24 , Kapur V 25 , Kunigiri G 26 , Lafer B 14 , Larsen ER 19 , Lewitzka U 1 , Licht RW 27 , Lund AH 19 , Misiak B 28 , Monteith S 29 , Munoz R 30 , Nakanotani T 31 , Nielsen RE 32 , O'Donovan C 3 , Okamura Y 21 , Osher Y 7 , Piotrowski P 33 , Reif A 34 , Ritter P 1 , Rybakowski JK 35 , Sagduyu K 36 , Sawchuk B 16 , Schwartz E 37 , Scippa ÂM 38 , Slaney C 3 , Sulaiman AH 39 , Suominen K 40 , Suwalska A 35 , Tam P 41 , Tatebayashi Y 31 , Tondo L 42 , Vieta E 24 , Vinberg M 43 , Viswanath B 44 , Volkert J 34 , Zetin M 45 , Whybrow PC 46 , Bauer M 47

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
  • 2 ChronoRecord Association, Fullerton, CA, USA
  • 3 Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
  • 4 Unit of Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
  • 5 Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
  • 6 IMPACT Strategic Research Centre, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia; University Hospital Geelong, Barwon Health, Geelong, VIC, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Parkville, VIC, Australia
  • 7 Beer Sheva Mental Health Center, Beer Sheva, Israel; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
  • 8 Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
  • 9 Section of Neurosciences and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy
  • 10 Department of Molecular Medicine and Department of Mental Health (DAI) and University of Siena and University of Siena Medical Center (AOUS), Siena, Italy
  • 11 IMPACT Strategic Research Centre, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia; University Hospital Geelong, Barwon Health, Geelong, VIC, Australia
  • 12 Department of General Adult Psychiatry, Castle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong
  • 13 AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri-Mondor, Créteil, France
  • 14 Bipolar Disorder Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
  • 15 IMPACT Strategic Research Centre, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia; University Hospital Geelong, Barwon Health, Geelong, VIC, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
  • 16 Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
  • 17 AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri-Mondor, INSERM U955 (IMRB), Université Paris Est, Créteil, France
  • 18 Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Alava, University of the Basque Country, CIBERSAM, Vitoria, Spain
  • 19 Department of Affective Disorders, Q, Mood Disorders Research Unit, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
  • 20 Mood Disorders Center of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  • 21 Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Metropolitan Matsuzawa Hospital, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
  • 22 Department of Psychology & Aston Brain Centre, Aston University, Birmingham, UK
  • 23 AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri-Mondor, INSERM U955 (IMRB), Université Paris Est, Créteil, France; Institut Pasteur, Unité Perception et Mémoire, F-75015 Paris, France
  • 24 Bipolar Disorders Program, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
  • 25 Department of Clinical Psychology, NIMHANS, Bangalore 560029, India
  • 26 Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, Leicester, UK
  • 27 Aalborg University Hospital, Psychiatry, Aalborg, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
  • 28 Department of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
  • 29 Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Traverse City Campus, Traverse City, MI, USA
  • 30 Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA USA
  • 31 Affective Disorders Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
  • 32 Aalborg University Hospital, Psychiatry, Aalborg, Denmark
  • 33 Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany; University Hospital Geelong, Barwon Health, Geelong, VIC, Australia
  • 34 Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
  • 35 Department of Adult Psychiatry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
  • 36 Department of Psychiatry, University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA
  • 37 Croton on Hudson, NY, USA
  • 38 Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
  • 39 Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 40 City of Helsinki, Department of Social Services and Health Care, Psychiatry, Helsinki, Finland
  • 41 Department of Psychiatry, Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • 42 Harvard Medical School-McLean Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Lucio Bini Center, Cagliari e Roma, Italy
  • 43 Psychiatric Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • 44 Department of Psychiatry, NIMHANS, Bangalore 560029, India
  • 45 Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
  • 46 Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • 47 Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany. Electronic address: michael.bauer@uniklinikum-dresden.de
Psychiatry Res, 2016 08 30;242:388-394.
PMID: 27391371 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.05.055

Abstract

There is considerable international interest in online education of patients with bipolar disorder, yet little understanding of how patients use the Internet and other sources to seek information. 1171 patients with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder in 17 countries completed a paper-based, anonymous survey. 81% of the patients used the Internet, a percentage similar to the general public. Older age, less education, and challenges in country telecommunications infrastructure and demographics decreased the odds of using the Internet. About 78% of the Internet users looked online for information on bipolar disorder or 63% of the total sample. More years of education in relation to the country mean, and feeling very confident about managing life decreased the odds of seeking information on bipolar disorder online, while having attended support groups increased the odds. Patients who looked online for information on bipolar disorder consulted medical professionals plus a mean of 2.3 other information sources such as books, physician handouts, and others with bipolar disorder. Patients not using the Internet consulted medical professionals plus a mean of 1.6 other information sources. The percentage of patients with bipolar disorder who use the Internet is about the same as the general public. Other information sources remain important.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

MeSH terms
Similar publications