Family interventions for bipolar disorder.

Pharmacological treatments are the principal intervention for bipolar disorder. Alone, however, they are not sufficient to control symptoms and maintain psychosocial functioning. Adjunctive psychosocial interventions may help to improve the patient's condition and the course of the illness. Family interventions are deserving of special attention, since they may help to relieve the burden of care borne by relatives and caregivers, which in turn may facilitate the task of supporting the patient.