PhD research update into autism spectrum condition in bipolar disorder

My name is Krista Easton and I was delighted to join BDRN in October 2018 to start my PhD at the University of Worcester. I conducted my undergraduate psychology research project with BDRN the previous year which ignited my interest in mood disorders.

My PhD research is focused on autistic-like traits and autism spectrum condition in adults who have bipolar disorder. There is some published research that suggests these traits/conditions are more likely to occur in people who have bipolar disorder than in the general population, but there are few studies in adults and none in the UK. As part of my research I am hoping to carry out interviews with BDRN participants who have received a diagnosis of both an autism spectrum condition and bipolar disorder to explore their experiences from a life course perspective.

I look forward to keeping you updated about the progress of my research and sharing my findings with you all in the future.

PhD student Krista Easton