Our team and others have carried out lots of research on Advance Choice Documents.
Please do check back to find more information and research, and do let us know if you know of any helpful resources we could add.
Bound to the Mast, a BBC Radio 4 Documentary discussing Advance Choice Documents
Why are people with mental illness committing themselves in advance, when well, to treatment that they know they may want to refuse when they become unwell?
Dr. Sally Marlow explores in this BBC Radio 4 documentary. Click here to listen.
AdvanceChoice.org becomes a recommended resource in the NHS’s Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF)
NHS England's first ever anti-racism framework, PCREF, now links to Advance Choice.org as a key resource. This is a fantastic step forward as it means that Advance Choice Documents are becoming recommended by the NHS, which helps hugely with awareness of, and therefore uptake, of Advance Choice Documents.
The link to read more about the latest updates to the PCREF is here. We are referenced under Part 1 – Leadership and governance / Item 6.
Coverage
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The Guardian: Mental health advance choice documents ‘would reduce sectioning’
An article in the Guardian helping to drive awareness of Advancechoice.org and the reason for its existence.
Click here to read the full article
‘King’s College London is aiming to boost awareness with a new site, which will be used as a resource on the NHS to spur a culture shift towards shared decision-making.
Dr Tania Gergel, a researcher at UCL who is leading on the Advance Choice project, said this would represent a move away from the “paternalistic” model of psychiatry, reflecting that “people have a very good understanding of their illness”.
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Suicide and bipolar disorder: opportunities to change the agenda
Dr. Tania Gergel is published in the Lancet Psychiatry discussing suicide rates amongst those with Bipolar disorder. In the article she explains the importance of Advance Choice Documents and links to AdvanceChoice.org.
Read the full paper here
Globally, approximately 15–20% of people with bipolar disorder die by suicide, with 30–60% making at least one attempt, and these attempts use more lethal means than attempts among the general population. These rates are not decreasing despite an overall decline in global suicide rates… This can and must change.
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Bipolar UK’s ‘Can Advance Choice Documents save bipolar lives?’ panel discussion
In this fascinating webinar, host Leah Charles-King was joined by panelists Adam Deacon, Professor Sally Marlow, Polly Wiseman, and Dr Sameer Jauhar. Alongside very honest discussions with both clinicians and those with lived experience, they answered questions about Advance Choice Documents and explored the benefits of creating one.
Watch the full webinar here
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New resources aim to help people make key mental health decisions
A recent McPin survey* found that 96% of people would consider using an Advance Choice Document (ACD), but only 50% had heard of it before.
Click here to read the rest of the article co-written by McPin and the Advance Choice Team.
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Unlocking Empowerment: New Website Demystifies Advance Choice Documents for Mental Health Care
New online resources to help guide future mental healthcare decisions are available for individuals and caretakers.
Click here to read the full article
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King’s College London launches new website to support people making decisions around their mental health
the National Centre for Mental Health introduces AdvanceChoice.org
Rea the full article here
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Unlocking Empowerment: New Website Demystifies Advance Choice Documents for Mental Health Care
Michigan Medicine introduces Advance Choice Documents and links through to online resource
Read the full article here
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advance choice documents
Bipolar UK’s Director of Research, Dr Tania Gergel answers some of your FAQs about Advance Choice Documents (ACDs).
There’s widespread international evidence showing a lack of awareness about ACDs among people living with mental health conditions. Also, the Bipolar UK community told us they are extremely enthusiastic about the idea of ACDs, but either didn’t know about them, and/or didn’t know how to create one.
That’s why Professor Sally Marlow and I led a research project and, in January 2024, established a website with short educational videos and helpful resources, including a downloadable sample template you can change to suit your needs.
Read the aricle on the Bipolar UK website here
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Balancing Act: Pregnancy and Bipolar Disorder
'Some mood stabilizers may be unsafe for fetuses, but going off them abruptly puts a parent’s mental health at risk.'
Tania Gergel features in this article published on Undark using Advance Choice Documents as a suggested resource.
Read the full article here
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Advance healthcare directives and advance choice documents in psychiatry: New resources, new legislation, new opportunities
Tania Gergel has co-written a paper on Advance Choice Documents highlighting the need for legislative reform, outreach and accessibility.
Click here to read the full article
Some useful research papers can be found below
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Advance Decision Making in Bipolar: A Systematic Review
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The Lancet: Implementing sustainable global mental health in a fragmenting world
Researchers, doctors, and people with lived experience discuss 5 ways to improve mental health treatment—for everyone, everywhere. Advance Directives are featured from 3.14 mins.
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Advance decision-making in mental health - suggestions for legal reform in England and Wales
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Why have I not been told about this? a survey of experiences of and attitudes to advance decision-making amongst people with bipolar
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The PACT advance decision-making template: preparing for Mental Health Act reforms with co-production, focus groups and consultation
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Reasons for endorsing or rejecting ‘self-binding directives’ in bipolar disorder: a qualitative study of survey responses from UK service users.
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Preparing for Mental Health Act reform: Pilot study of co-produced implementation strategies for Advance Choice Documents
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Fluctuating capacity and advance decision-making in Bipolar Affective Disorder: Self-binding directives and self-determination
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Advance directives reduce friction over involuntary treatment – Authors' reply
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Your rights when detained under the Mental Health Act in England ew List Item
Documents aggregated on the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s website