Efficacy of Group Cognitive-behavioral Therapy in Maintenance Treatment and Relapse Prevention for Bipolar Adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Despite conducting wide-ranging of pharmacotherapy for bipolar adolescents, many of them are showing a deficit in functioning with high relapse rate. The aim of the current study was to develop a manual and investigate the efficacy of group cognitive-behavioral therapy (G-CBT) for female bipolar adolescents.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: During the first qualitative phase of a mixed-methods study, a manual of G-CBT was developed. Then, 32 female bipolar adolescents aged 12-19 years old, receiving usual maintenance medications (UMM), were selected. Participants were randomized to the control (UMM) and intervention group (5, 2 h weekly sessions based on G-CBT manual with UMM). The parents in intervention group participated in three parallel sessions. All participants filled the following questionnaires before 1, 3, and 6 months after the initiation of the study: Young Mania Rating Scale, Children Depression Inventory and Global Assessment of Functioning. The results were analyzed using SPSS 21 software. The concurrent qualitative phase was analyzed through thematic analysis.

RESULTS: The results showed no significant differences in all questionnaires' scores through intervention and follow-up sessions ( P > 0.05). However, using cutoff point of CDI, G-CBT was effective for intervention group (relapse rate: 25% vs. 44.4%). Two themes were extracted from the second qualitative phase: emotion recognition and emotion regulation, especially in anger control.

CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that the addition of G-CBT to UMM leads to decrease in the depressive scores but has no effect on manic symptoms and relapse rate.