Conclusions  Electronic self-monitoring of mood in depression appears to be a valid measure of mood in contrast to self-monitoring of mood in mania .
Background Various paper-based mood charting instruments are used in the monitoring of symptoms in bipolar disorder .
During recent years an increasing number of electronic self-monitoring tools have been developed .
The objectives of this systematic review were 1 ) to evaluate the validity of electronic self-monitoring tools as a method of evaluating mood compared to clinical rating scales for depression and mania and 2 ) to investigate the effect of electronic self-monitoring tools on clinical ly relevant outcomes in bipolar disorder .
There are yet few studies on the effect of  electronic self-monitoring of mood  in bipolar disorder .
The Bipolar Interactive Psychoeducation (BIPED) study: trial design and protocol
Background Bipolar disorders affect between 3–5 % of the population and are associated with considerable lifelong impairment . Since much of the morbidity associated with bipolar disorder is caused by recurrent depressive symptoms , which are often only poorly responsive to antidepressants , there is a need to develop alternative , non-pharmacological interventions . Psychoeducational interventions have emerged as promising long-term therapeutic options for bipolar disorder . Methods / design The study is an exploratory , individually r and omised controlled trial . The intervention known as ' Beating Bipolar ' is a psychoeducational programme which is delivered via a novel web-based system . We will recruit 100 patients with a diagnosis of DSM-IV bipolar disorder ( including type I and type II ) currently in clinical remission . The primary outcome is quality of life . This will be compared for those patients who have participated in the psychoeducational programme with those who received treatment as usual . Quality of life will be assessed immediately following the intervention as well as 10 months after r and omisation . Secondary outcomes include current depressive and manic symptoms , number of episodes of depression and mania/hypomania experienced during the follow-up period , global functioning , functional impairment and insight . An assessment of costs and a process evaluation will also be conducted which will explore the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention as well as potential barriers to effectiveness . Discussion Bipolar disorder is common , under-recognised and often poorly managed . It is a chronic , life-long , relapsing condition which has an enormous impact on the individual and the economy . This trial will be the first to explore the effectiveness of a novel web-based psychoeducational intervention for patients with bipolar disorder which has potential to be easily rolled out to patients .Trial registration Current Controlled Trials IS RCT
Conclusions  Electronic self-monitoring of mood in depression appears to be a valid measure of mood in contrast to self-monitoring of mood in mania .
Background Various paper-based mood charting instruments are used in the monitoring of symptoms in bipolar disorder .
During recent years an increasing number of electronic self-monitoring tools have been developed .
The objectives of this systematic review were 1 ) to evaluate the validity of electronic self-monitoring tools as a method of evaluating mood compared to clinical rating scales for depression and mania and 2 ) to investigate the effect of electronic self-monitoring tools on clinical ly relevant outcomes in bipolar disorder .
There are yet few studies on the effect of  electronic self-monitoring of mood  in bipolar disorder .