Psychosocial Therapy Plus Maintenance Pharmacotherapy for Treating Bipolar Disorder

June 21, 2013 updated by: University of Pittsburgh

Maintenance Therapies in Bipolar Disorder

This study will evaluate the effectiveness of interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT) versus clinical status and symptom response therapy (CSSRT) in reinforcing the treatment of bipolar disorder in individuals who are currently undergoing medication treatment for the disorder.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Bipolar disorder is a serious medical illness that causes shifts in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function. These changes are drastic, and can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and suicide. Bipolar disorder is also known as manic-depressive disorder because it is characterized by episodes of mania and depression. Some signs and symptoms of a manic episode include the following: increased energy, activity, and restlessness; excessively "high," overly good mood; and extreme irritability. Some signs and symptoms of a depressive episode include the following: sad, anxious, or empty mood; feelings of hopelessness or pessimism; and feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness. Bipolar disorder is most effectively treated using a strategy that combines medication and psychosocial treatment. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of IPSRT versus CSSRT in reinforcing the treatment of bipolar disorder in individuals who are currently undergoing maintenance medication treatment for the disorder.

Participants in this open-label study will be randomly assigned to one of two treatment strategies: IPSRT or CSSRT. All participants will attend study visits once a week until they have been stable for 4 weeks (acute phase). At this point, they will attend study visits every other week for 12 weeks (continuation phase), and then once a month for 18 months or until another depressive or mixed episode occurs (maintenance phase). Participants who experience a recurrence will be treated with medication and the type of therapy they were assigned upon study entry (IPSRT or CSSRT). These participants will continue to be followed for a period of time equivalent to their remainder of time in the study had they not experienced a recurrence. Outcomes will be measured at Week 12 of the continuation phase and Week 18 of the maintenance phase.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment

181

Phase

  • Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Pennsylvania
      • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15213
        • Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosis of bipolar disorder
  • Currently in the third episode of mania or major depression
  • History of one other episode of major depression within 5 years prior to study entry

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Currently in the first episode of mania or schizo-affective disorder (manic type)
  • Rapid cycling drug or alcohol abuse
  • Unstable medical illness
  • Pregnant
  • Index episode caused by medically prescribed drugs

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time to stabilization in the acute phase and time to recurrence in the maintenance phase

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measured at Week 12 of the continuation phase and Week 18 of the maintenance phase: Somatic Symptoms Checklist

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University of Pittsburgh

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Ellen Frank, PhD, University of Pittsburgh

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

March 1, 1995

Study Completion

April 1, 2002

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 26, 2005

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 26, 2005

First Posted (Estimate)

September 28, 2005

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

June 25, 2013

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 21, 2013

Last Verified

June 1, 2013

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • R37MH029618-95 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)
  • 950310

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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