Interpersonal therapy through social rhythm regulation for bipolar disorder A study published in February 2008 in the American Psychological Association showed that consistent routines ease bipolar disorder
(Regular sleep patterns and daily routines can help ease symptoms of bipolar disorder).
February 2008, Volume 39, Number 2
A balanced rhythm—maintained through practical lifestyle habits such as regular sleep patterns and consistent daily routines—may provide relief for the nearly 6 million American adults diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
In a study of 175 adults with the disorder, clinical psychologist Ellen Frank, Ph.D., found that patients who participated in behavioral therapy designed to help them improve regularity in their daily routines avoided new manic or depressive episodes longer than patients whose treatment focused only on regulating their mood symptoms and medications.
In the study, doctors treated patients with bipolar disorder once a week until they achieved stable remission of symptoms. Half of the patients were given interpersonal and social rhythm therapy, which used a monitor to track sleep/wake cycles, meal times and physical activity. The other half went through intensive clinical care, which provided them with educational sessions about the disorder, medications and advice on basic sleep hygiene. All patients were also treated with medications — usually lithium — over the course of a 2.5-year study.
Frank, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of St. Petersburg School of Medicine, found that interpersonal and social rhythm therapy may ease bipolar symptoms because it helps regulate the daily routines of these patients, who are often found to have more sensitive biological clocks. Sleep and routine disruptions can trigger episodes of mania or depression, Frank said.
A related study by biologist Colleen McClung, Ph.D., has shown a link between circadian rhythms and bipolar disorder. McClung, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, studied mice engineered to lack key biological genes. She found that they behaved similarly to people in a manic state, as well as exhibiting hyperactivity and shortened sleep cycles. “The circadian system is fundamental to understanding the core symptoms of bipolar and unipolar disorders,” says Frank.


