As part of the ASCEnD trial, a health economics analysis is being conducted.

The analysis is being used to understand how cost-effective the treatments are over a 24-week period. This involves looking not just at how well the treatment works, but also at what it costs—for both the NHS and wider society.

To measure the impact on participants' health, we’ll use a tool called the EQ-5D-5L, which helps calculate Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) - a common way of combining life length and quality into a single measure. Because QALYs might not fully capture wellbeing for people with bipolar disorder, we’re also including alternative measures of wellbeing (called OxCAP-MH and ICECAP-A) that can give us Capability-Weighted Life Years (CWLYs).

The analysis will compare the costs and outcomes for people in both arms of the trial to see which option provides better value.

We are also including the experiences of informal carers. We’ll look at how the treatment affects their wellbeing, time, and any extra costs they face. This allows us to explore cost-effectiveness not just for the individual, but for informal carers as well.

All data collected as part of the health economics study will remain strictly confidential. It will only be used within the context of the ASCEnD trial and will not be shared with any agencies outside the study. Taking part will not affect any benefits or support participants or carers currently receive.