How strong positive emotions relate to bipolar disorder in young adults
Official title: Positive Emotion in Bipolar Disorder Onset and Illness Course in Emerging Adults
Funded at University of Colorado · NIH-11239087 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project follows emerging adults to find out whether intense or poorly controlled positive emotions predict who will develop or have worsening bipolar disorder.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boulder, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | December 5, 2023 |
| Project end | November 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $767,909 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH131803-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11239087 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are emerging adults (late teens through twenties) who have early bipolar symptoms, are considered high risk for bipolar disorder, or are low-risk comparison participants.
✕Less likely to help
People outside the emerging-adult age range or those with long-standing, late-stage bipolar disorder or unrelated conditions are unlikely to get direct benefit from this specific study.
What this research studies
You would join a 24-month study that follows three groups of emerging adults: those with early bipolar disorder, those at high risk but not diagnosed, and those at low risk. Participants complete diagnostic interviews, behavioral tests of emotion, and brain imaging sessions while researchers measure positive emotion regulation. The team will track symptoms, functioning, and risk-taking over time to see whether patterns of positive emotion predict onset or course of bipolar disorder. The study aims to recruit a large, diverse community sample and uses well-validated risk indicators to identify high- and low-risk people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify early warning signs so people get treatment earlier and avoid worsening illness.
How similar studies have gone: Over 15 years of lab studies have linked positive emotion dysregulation to bipolar illness, but using longitudinal brain and behavioral measures to predict initial onset and early course is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
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University of Colorado
Boulder, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gruber, June L — University of Colorado
- Study coordinator: Gruber, June L
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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.