Effectiveness Of Psychoeducation On The Recurrence Prevention Of Bipolar I Disorder Symptoms: A Comparative Study Of Individual And Family Interventions

Abstract

The increasing burden of chronic illnesses, including Bipolar I Disorder, has necessitated the exploration of complementary treatments alongside conventional psychiatric interventions. This study investigates the effectiveness of psychoeducation as a supplementary treatment in preventing the recurrence of Bipolar I Disorder symptoms, specifically comparing individual psychoeducation and family-based psychoeducation. A sample of 66 patients diagnosed with Bipolar I Disorder was selected and randomly assigned to one of three groups: individual psychoeducation, family-based psychoeducation, and a control group receiving only standard psychiatric care. The study employed the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) to assess manic and depressive symptoms, while laboratory measures of lithium and bilirubin levels were monitored. Data were collected at three points: pre-test, post-test, and follow-up.

The findings revealed significant differences in manic symptoms and lithium levels between the groups. Specifically, the family-based psychoeducation group, combined with pharmacotherapy, showed significantly lower mean scores in manic symptoms and higher lithium levels compared to the control group at both post-test and follow-up. No significant effects were observed for depressive symptoms or bilirubin levels across the groups.

These results suggest that family-based psychoeducation effectively controls manic symptoms by increasing lithium levels in patients, both in the short and long term. Therefore, integrating family-based psychoeducation with psychiatric treatment is recommended to prevent unexpected recurrences of manic episodes in patients with Bipolar I Disorder. However, the study did not find evidence of efficacy in addressing depressive symptoms or bilirubin levels.