Treatment of inpatients with bipolar disorders: a role for self-management groups

1. Group therapy for outpatients with bipolar disorders is perceived as an effective adjunct to psychopharmacotherapy. Although medications to treat bipolar disorders have been well characterized and compliance usually results in good control of symptoms, the value of a group intervention program focusing on self-management has been ignored in inpatient treatment. 2. A patient workbook is being planned. This workbook is intended to impart additional information concerning self-management and free the therapist from devoting group time to individual didactic instruction. 3. Inpatients with bipolar disorders have responded favorably to diagnostically homogeneous group therapy. The data accumulated from their reports helped to formulate the Self-Management of Bipolar Disorder Group Model and this new model must be compared with the original model to ascertain effectiveness.