Early support to lower bipolar risk in children of parents with bipolar disorder
Official title: Early Intervention for Youth At-Risk for Bipolar Disorder
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11089454 · Data updated 2026-11-12
An adapted therapy that helps stabilize sleep and daily rhythms for children and teens who have a parent with bipolar disorder to try to lower their chances of developing bipolar themselves.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2021 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $619,220 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH125971-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11089454 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children and adolescents who have a first-degree parent with bipolar disorder and who are identified as higher risk by the study's risk calculator, but who have not yet developed a full mood disorder, are the intended participants.
✕Less likely to help
People without a family history of bipolar disorder or individuals who already have a diagnosed bipolar disorder are unlikely to benefit from this preventive intervention.
What this research studies
Researchers use a risk calculator developed from the Pittsburgh Bipolar Offspring Study to identify offspring of parents with bipolar disorder who are at higher 5-year risk. The team adapted Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT) for adolescents to help stabilize sleep and circadian patterns thought to lead to bipolar. Earlier open-pilot work and a prior R34 randomized trial showed a preliminary signal that IPSRT can engage sleep/circadian targets and reduce symptoms compared with community referral. This project delivers the adapted IPSRT to at-risk youth and tracks mood outcomes and sleep/circadian measures over time.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lower the chance that high-risk children and adolescents go on to develop bipolar disorder by stabilizing sleep and daily routines.
How similar studies have gone: An open pilot and a prior R34 randomized trial of the adapted IPSRT produced preliminary evidence of benefit and engagement of the sleep/circadian mechanism.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Goldstein, Tina R — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Goldstein, Tina R
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.