Family-Focused Therapy Effective in Treating Depressive Episodes of Bipolar Youth

September 1, 2008 • Science Update

Adolescents with bipolar disorder who received a nine-month course of family-focused therapy (FFT) recovered more quickly from depressive episodes and stayed free of depression for longer periods than a control group, according to an NIMH-funded study published September 2008 in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

In FFT, the patient and his or her family are heavily involved in psychosocial treatment sessions. They learn to identify the symptoms of bipolar disorder, its course, and how to spot impending episodes or relapses. Patients and families also learn communication and problem-solving skills, and illness management strategies. For this trial, David Miklowitz, Ph.D., of the University of Colorado, and colleagues adapted the therapy to the needs of adolescents and their families.

The 58 participants, ages 12 to 17, were recruited from the University of Colorado and the University of Pittsburgh, and randomly assigned to either 21 50-minute sessions of FFT or to a control intervention called enhanced care (EC). EC included three 50-minute sessions with patients and their families that focused on relapse prevention planning, taking medication as directed, and dealing with conflict at home. All participants took mood-stabilizing medication such as lithium as well. Participants were evaluated every three months during the first year of the two-year study and every six months in the second year.

Although the rate of recovery was high for all participants—91.4 percent—participants in the FFT group recovered faster from depressive symptoms than the EC group. This was especially pronounced in youths who were in the midst of a major depressive episode at the beginning of the study. In the FFT group, the average time to recovery from major depression was 10 weeks, compared to 14 weeks for the EC group. The FFT group also spent less time depressed—about three weeks compared to the EC group’s five weeks—and had less severe depressive symptoms over the two years than the EC group.   

The results are similar to those of the NIMH-funded Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD), which found that adult participants who received up to 30 sessions of FFT, cognitive behavioral therapy, or interpersonal therapy plus mood stabilizing medications recovered more rapidly from depressive episodes than the participants who received only three psychoeducational sessions in addition to medication.

The adolescent participants in the new study eventually recovered from manic symptoms as well, but neither of the treatments showed a statistically significant advantage in treating mania, a finding also consistent with STEP-BD results. The researchers conclude that for full recovery from adolescent bipolar disorder, FFT may need to be augmented with psychoeducational interventions that are effective against mania symptoms.

Reference

Miklowitz DJ, Axelson DA, Birmaher B, George EL, Taylor DO, Schneck CD, Beresford CA, Dickinson M, Craighead WE, Brent DA. Family-focused treatment for adolescents with bipolar disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry. 2008 Sept; 65(9).