Moody Monday

I’m reclassifying The Mood Network from “resource” to “opportunity for activism.” It’s a huge research project dedicated to developing better treatments for mood disorders based on the lived experiences of people who have them and our families. However, so far it looks more like a teaching model – “we’ll tell you” instead of “please tell us” – and the forums are practically dead. If this thing is going to work, it needs a lot of love.

Part of the “Participant Portal” page that becomes visible after signing in. Options include surveys to determine if you’ve ever had depression or mania, “ask the doctor,” and discussion forums. Not visible: You can also read and comment on their blog.

The Participant Portal, screenshot above, seems okay overall. I like the invitation to share our experiences. The forums and blog are the only places to do so, though. The surveys are similar to others you can find online, particularly at the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (one of the groups involved in this project.) I’m not sure if the “Ask the Doctor” option is unique among otherwise-available resources… But again it’s “ask the doctor” not “tell the doctor.”

I’ve been focusing on the forums the most and frankly, they are disheartening. A few people have gotten into discussing “Treatments,” but the “General Questions” forums are empty. I think the problem is that they create two mutually-exclusive categories that are ridiculously broad, unfocused, and don’t invite discussion of topics (or diagnoses) that may not fit neatly in either category. There is no way for participants to create new categories.

A screenshot of the “Forums” page. There are three categories: “Treatments,” “General Questions about Depression,” and “General Questions about Bipolar Disorder.” Only the first category, “Treatments” has posts.

I don’t know about other research participants, but I’m not there to ask questions; I’m there to share my experiences. Where is the space for us to share our stories? To discuss how mood disorders – and the associated stigma – impact our lives? To give feedback on our ability to access care and how health professionals treat us? Where is the space for our family members to discuss their experiences of living with and supporting us? What about those of us whose mental health issues don’t fit neatly into “Depression” or “Bipolar Disorder?”

One thing I’ve learned about research is that it’s important to come up with specific questions you want to answer via your research methodology. These researchers have created a space where they can ask us questions directly. They should use it! I can’t know what their questions are, but I can make some suggestions: “What makes a good therapist?” “What treatments have and haven’t worked for you?” “What barriers have you faced to accessing treatment?” “What can health professionals do to better meet your needs?” “What research do you think we should be doing?” Etc.

“Keep calm and formulate your research question” retrieved from the JEPS Bulletin.

Also, I’m annoyed that I had to choose “Male” or “Female” to register for the study. Gender (and physical sex) are so much more varied and complex than that! Trans* people face additional discrimination and erasure that definitely impact our mental health; those of us who are non-binary, fluid, agender, very proud of being trans*, etc. definitely don’t need more of that. Also, trans* people who transition medically may be taking hormones or have other unique medical needs that impact their response to medication and/or other treatments. These are all very important considerations for any health-related study.

Actually, that would be another great research question: “In what ways do systems of privilege and oppression (e.g. racism, sexism, cis- and/or heterosexism, wealth inequality, ableism, etc.) contribute to your mood disorder / symptoms?” I also like, “What community initiatives might help lower the incidence of mood disorders and/or make living with them easier?” Focusing on the medical aspect, “Do you have any medical condition(s) that have influenced the benefit you receive from treatment?” (I could probably do this all day.)

illustration by Jessica Krcmarik

Anyways, activism. I invite anyone who’s interested to join The Mood Network and light a fire under the researchers’ butts. Contact them directly with whatever feedback you deem appropriate, comment on their blog posts, start new discussions in the forums, send them links to mental health blogs. Spread the word. This is intended to help us, let’s make it our own!

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