Family-focused treatment versus individual treatment for bipolar disorder: results of a randomized clinical trial.
Recently hospitalized bipolar, manic patients (N = 53) were randomly assigned to a 9-month, manual-based, family-focused psychoeducational therapy (n = 28) or to an individually focused patient treatment (n = 25). All patients received concurrent treatment with mood-stabilizing medications. Structured follow-up assessments were conducted at 3-month intervals for a 1-year period ofactive treatment and a 1-year period of posttreatment follow-up. Compared with patients in individual therapy, those in family-focused treatment were less likely to be rehospitalized during the 2-year study period. Patients in family treatment also experienced fewer mood disorder relapses over the 2 years, although they did not differ from patients in individual treatment in their likelihood of a first relapse. Results suggest that family psychoeducational treatment is a useful adjunct to pharmacotherapy in decreasing the risk of relapse and hospitalization frequently associated with bipolar disorder.
Rea
Margaret M
MM
Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
Tompson
Martha C
MC
Miklowitz
David J
DJ
Goldstein
Michael J
MJ
Hwang
Sun
S
Mintz
Jim
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*