A recent review in Annals of General Psychiatry focuses on the current status of treatment protocols for Bipolar Disorder, which the authors describe as “a multi-faceted illness with an inevitably complex treatment.” Psychoactive drugs are, and have been for many years, primary to treatment protocols. After a review of the current data, the authors conclude that in addition to drug therapies, the best approaches to treatment and relapse prevention include psychoeduation, family-focused psychoeducation, and cognitive-behavioral therapy. This multi-level approach also extends to patients’ family members; patients and their families learn to identify possible triggering factors, recognize the early signs of episodes, and initiate early interventions.
Study authors: K. N. Fountoulakis, E. Vieta, M. Siamouli, M. Valenti, S. Magiria, T. Oral, D. Fresno, P. Giannakopoulos, G. S. Kaprinis