People with bipolar disorder prefer targeted financial data sharing with trusted partners
Assessing Acceptance and Privacy Preferences of Third-party Financial Data Sharing in Bipolar Disorder
Human-Computer Interaction
Summary
People with bipolar disorder often face money problems. The authors studied how comfortable they feel sharing their financial information with others during different mood phases. They found that people prefer sharing with close care partners and like temporary spending limits during tough mood periods. Those who had financial difficulties before were more open to sharing. The study highlights the importance of mood-based, time-limited financial controls to help manage money in bipolar disorder.
What this means in practice
- •For mental health app developers: Design digital tools that enable mood-aware, time-limited financial controls involving trusted care partners.
- •For financial advisors: Develop strategies for clients with bipolar disorder that incorporate trusted third-party planning and temporary spending limits.
Authors
Jeff Brozena, Johnna Blair, Dahlia Mukherjee, Erika F. H. Saunders, Thomas Richardson, Saeed Abdullah
Abstract
Bipolar disorder is strongly associated with financial instability. We examine how different interventions motivate individuals with bipolar disorder to share financial data with others. This approach can inform the development of tools for digital monitoring and intervention designed to promote financial stability in this population. 500 individuals with BD completed a pre-registered factorial vignette survey to examine level of comfort with hypothetical scenarios involving third-party financial interventions during symptomatic and euthymic periods. Scenario components were systematically varied between third-party actors, mood states, and intervention types. Participants rated sharing comfort on a 0-10 point scale. Multilevel models tested differences alongside clinical and financial histories, relational trust, and personality. Participants were most comfortable involving care partners in financial planning. They were more comfortable with temporary spending restrictions during symptomatic states than euthymic periods, underscoring the importance of accurate mood detection for intervention delivery. Prior financial help-seeking behavior and higher relational trust predicted greater comfort. Bankruptcy experience --- declared by 11.4% and considered by 31.7% --- was associated with increased comfort with spending restrictions. Individuals with psychiatric advance directives (8%) were significantly more comfortable sharing spending behaviors than those without. Comfort with financial interventions was higher among those with prior financial challenges or help-seeking histories. Participants distinguished between symptomatic and euthymic periods, favoring targeted, time-limited restrictions over general monitoring. These findings extend prior work on financial data sharing for illness self-management.