This review shows a beneficial effect of EWS in time to recurrence , percentage of people hospitalised and functioning in people with bipolar disorder .
BACKGROUND Recurrence rates for bipolar disorder are high despite effective treatments with mood stabiliser drugs .
Self-help treatments and psychological treatments that teach patients to recognise and manage early warning symptoms and signs ( EWS ) of impending manic or depressive episodes are popular with patients .
The main aim of such interventions is to intervene early and prevent bipolar episodes , thereby increasing the time to the next recurrence and preventing hospitalisation .
OBJECTIVES To compare the effectiveness of an EWS intervention plus treatment as usual ( TAU ) versus TAU ( involving and not involving a psychological therapy ) on time to manic , depressive and all bipolar episodes ( the primary outcome ) , hospitalisation , functioning , depressive and manic symptoms .
Family-focused treatment of bipolar disorder: 1-year effects of a psychoeducational program in conjunction with pharmacotherapy
BACKGROUND Few studies have examined the combined effects of psychosocial treatment and pharmacotherapy for bipolar disorder . This study used a r and omized , controlled design to examine a 9-month , manual-based program of family-focused psychoeducational treatment ( FFT ) . METHODS Bipolar patients ( N = 101 ) were recruited shortly after an illness episode and r and omly assigned to 21 sessions of FFT ( n = 31 ) or to a comparison treatment involving two family education sessions and follow-up crisis management ( CM ; n = 70 ) . Both treatments were delivered over 9 months ; patients were simultaneously maintained on mood stabilizing medications . Patients were evaluated every 3 months for 1 year as to relapse status , symptom severity , and medication compliance . RESULTS Patients assigned to FFT had fewer relapses and longer delays before relapses during the study year than did patients in CM . Patients in FFT also showed greater improvements in depressive ( but not manic ) symptoms . The most dramatic improvements were among FFT patients whose families were high in expressed emotion . The efficacy of FFT could not be explained by differences among patients in medication regimes or compliance . CONCLUSIONS Family-focused psychoeducational treatment appears to be an efficacious adjunct to pharmacotherapy for bipolar disorder . Future studies should evaluate family treatment against other forms of psychotherapy matched in amount of therapist-patient contact
This review shows a beneficial effect of EWS in time to recurrence , percentage of people hospitalised and functioning in people with bipolar disorder .
BACKGROUND Recurrence rates for bipolar disorder are high despite effective treatments with mood stabiliser drugs .
Self-help treatments and psychological treatments that teach patients to recognise and manage early warning symptoms and signs ( EWS ) of impending manic or depressive episodes are popular with patients .
The main aim of such interventions is to intervene early and prevent bipolar episodes , thereby increasing the time to the next recurrence and preventing hospitalisation .
OBJECTIVES To compare the effectiveness of an EWS intervention plus treatment as usual ( TAU ) versus TAU ( involving and not involving a psychological therapy ) on time to manic , depressive and all bipolar episodes ( the primary outcome ) , hospitalisation , functioning , depressive and manic symptoms .