Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy for Adolescents With Bipolar Disorder
Condition: Bipolar Disorder
MeSH terms: Bipolar Disorder
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This study will evaluate the effectiveness of interpersonal and social rhythm therapy in
      treating adolescents with a bipolar spectrum disorder
    

Detailed description: 
      Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that causes dramatic changes in a person's mood and
      energy. Bipolar spectrum disorders, including bipolar I, II, and not-otherwise-specified
      (NOS) disorders, usually form in late adolescence or early adulthood and require treatment
      for the rest of a person's life. People with a bipolar spectrum disorder undergo periods of
      extreme happiness and extreme sadness, known as episodes of mania and depression.
      Psychotherapy has proven an effective adjunct treatment to medications for people with
      bipolar disorder. Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT) is a specific type of
      psychotherapy that focuses on improving problems in interpersonal relationships that are
      related to a person's symptoms. Researchers believe that IPSRT helps people have more regular
      patterns of sleep, eating, and other activities that act to set a person's biological clock.
      This study will specifically adapt IPSRT to the developmental needs of adolescents and will
      determine the effectiveness of this approach in treating adolescents with a bipolar spectrum
      disorder.

      Participants in this study will be randomly assigned to receive interpersonal and social
      rhythm therapy for adolescents (IPSRT-A) or treatment as usual (TAU). Participants assigned
      to IPSRT-A will take part in 18 sessions of IPSRT over a 20-week period. Beginning with the
      first session, participants will meet with a therapist weekly for 16 weeks and then every
      other week for 4 weeks. Each IPSRT session will last about 45 to 60 minutes, and parents will
      be asked to accompany the child to 2 to 4 of these sessions. During IPSRT sessions, the
      therapist will talk with participants about their relationships and how they relate to
      symptoms; work with participants to help improve understanding of how their social and sleep
      routines relate to symptoms; and teach participants about bipolar disorder. Participants
      assigned to TAU will be given educational information about bipolar disorder and its
      treatment. They will then be referred to a mental health provider for usual care treatment.

      All participants and parents will complete questionnaires about symptoms every 4 weeks during
      the study. Follow-up assessments will occur at the end of treatment and again at Months 3 and
      6 post-treatment. These assessments will last between 60 and 90 minutes and will include
      completing an interview and questionnaires. Participants will also be asked for permission to
      obtain grade point average (GPA) and attendance records from their schools.
    

Intervention name(s): Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy for Adolescents (IPSRT-A); Treatment As Usual (TAU)
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): IPSRT-A involves 20 weeks of individual therapy, incorporating informed psychological, behavioral, and practical strategies adapted to the developmental needs of adolescents.; TAU includes the offering of educational information about bipolar disorder and referral to a mental health provider.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Adolescent; Psychopathology; Interpersonal Therapy; Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy