NEW PSYCHOSOCIAL TREATMENTS FOR THE OUTPATIENT MANAGEMENT OF BIPOLAR DISORDER

The psychosocial treatment of bipolar disorder has the potential to au gment the efficacy of outpatient pharmacotherapy if it succeeds in enh ancing the protective effects of the social and familial environment a nd the patient's adherence to drug regimes, We describe two manual-bas ed psychotherapies under evaluation in controlled clinical trials: a f amily-focused psychoeducational treatment and an individual, interpers onally-oriented psychotherapy. Both target recently ill patients and a re delivered in combination with standard pharmacotherapies on an outp atient basis, Results from the ongoing clinical trials suggest high pa tient retention rates for both models over the first year of treatment , Future research should focus on the appropriate sequencing of pharma cologic and psychosocial treatments, and the conditions under which ps ychosocial treatment will be most effective.