Work

Development of an Integrated Psychosocial Treatment to Address the Medical Burden Associated with Bipolar Disorder

Year: 2011

Type: article

Abstract: We developed an integrated psychosocial treatment for bipolar disorder to decrease the disproportionate medical burden associated with this illness. Three treatment modules, Nutrition/weight loss, Exercise, and Wellness Treatment (NEW Tx) were administered in twelve 60-minute group sessions over 14 weeks. After the first group (N=4) had completed the treatment, it was revised, and then a second group (N=6) completed the revised treatment. Participants completed all of the study assessments and attended 82% of the sessions. Both groups added over 100 minutes of weekly exercise to their baseline duration. Participants in the second group showed improvements in their quality of life, depressive symptoms, and weight. It appears that NEW Tx may be a feasible intervention with promising pilot data for reducing the medical burden in bipolar disorder, but future research is needed to further evaluate the efficacy of NEW Tx.

Source: Journal of Psychiatric Practice

DOI: 10.1097/01.pra.0000398419.82362.32

Authors: Louisa G. Sylvia, Andrew A. Nierenberg, Jonathan P. Stange, Andrew D. Peckham, Thilo Deckersbach

Institutions: Massachusetts General Hospital, Temple University

Language: English

Topic: Bipolar Disorder and Treatment

Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute of Mental Health