Effectiveness of Psychoeducational Group Training on Quality of Life and Recurrence of Patients with Bipolar Disorder

Objective: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a disabling psychiatric disorder with frequent recurrences. Besides pharmacotherapy, psychoeducation could be helpful in reducing symptoms as well as recurrence of this disorder, leading to improvement of patients’ quality of life. This study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of a culturally adjusted structured program for training Iranian BD patients. Method: In a 6-month course (spring and summer 2014), 24 BD patients, visiting the outpatient clinic of Ibn-Sina Hospital in Mashhad and experiencing euthymic phase, were allocated in to 2 groups of intervention and control. The intervention group received 8 sessions of psychoeducation in four weeks. Patients in the control group received the usual treatment. The patients were evaluated with Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Young Mania Rating Scale, and Short Form 36 before the intervention and 4 weeks later, and the results were compared using independent t test. The patients were reexamined after 6 months for recurrence, hospitalization, treatment adherence, and visiting a psychiatrist, and were compared with patients in the control groups. Results: There was a significant difference in the intervention group in improvement in quality of life before and after treatment (p<0.003). In addition, the difference was significant between the 2 groups in the number of recurrence (p<0.001) and hospitalization (p<0.000) in 6 months. Conclusion: In addition to pharmacotherapy, psychoeducation of patients with BD can improve their quality of life and decrease the risk of disorder recurrence.