Circadian activity disruption is apparent in bipolar patients even when not acutely ill. This finding is not associated with the presence of sleep disturbance. Should such patterns be replicated interventions to address both circadian instability and individual attributions for the effects of such instability are likely to be relevant to successful psychological interventions.

A familial high-risk strategy for studying the role of psychological factors in BD is feasible and informative. This pilot study indicates that abnormal coping styles, instability of self-esteem and dysregulation of sleep may be early markers of bipolar illness. However, current findings need to be explored further in longitudinal studies to clarify which potential markers are truly predictive of BD.

The circadian rhythm functioning and sleep patterns of 10 adults with Asperger syndrome were investigated using actigraphy. When compared with data from neurotypical adults, both statistical and clinically significant differences were found between the two groups, with the adults with Asperger syndrome showing marked abnormalities in both the quantity and the quality of sleep recorded. Examination of the actigraphic data indicated low sleep efficiency and high fragmentation as being characteristic of the sleep of participants with Asperger syndrome. These individuals also showed lower-amplitude circadian rhythms that were less strongly linked to environmental synchronizers, but no evidence of significant desynchronization of circadian rhythm. Possible mechanisms for these abnormalities and implications for clinical practice are discussed.

The mean scores of the participants as a whole indicated abnormalities in the two key circadian rhythm parameters of interdaily stability and intradaily variability. The implications of these findings for both clinical practice and theory are discussed.

A significant number of people with psychosis require inpatient admission under the Mental Health Act. Department of Health documents have highlighted the importance of delivering effective care to individuals with psychosis treated in low secure conditions. Research into patient outcomes in these settings has so far been neglected. The aim of the research reported here was to assess outcomes for patients tested at three six‐monthly assessments during their residence at a new community low secure facility for people with psychosis and challenging behaviour. Although there were numerical reductions on many of the outcome measures over time, few were statistically significant. The main significant improvements were in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale total and delusions scores over time. Initial evidence indicates that this type of care may have promise, but further research is needed to extend these findings.