Craig Macneil1, Melissa Hasty1, Kate Filia2, Aswin Ratheesh1, Philippe Conus3, Michael Berk4, Sue Cotton2,5; 1Early Psychosis Prevention & Intervention Centre, Orygen Youth Health, 35 Poplar Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Melbourne, Australia, 2Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia, 3Treatment & Early Intervention in Psychosis Program (TIPP), Département de Psychiatrie CHUV, Université de Lausanne, Clinique de Cery, 1008 Prilly, Switzerland, 4IMPACT Strategic Research Centre, School of Medicine, Deakin University, 1 Gheringhap Street, Geelong, Victoria, 3220, Australia, 5Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3052
Bipolar disorder generally has its onset when an individual is in their late teens, a critical developmental phase. While the research evidence often suggests that outcomes can be poor in bipolar disorder, some emerging evidence indicates that psychological interventions may be at their most effective early in the course of the disorder. This paper will report on the limited evidence base for early intervention in bipolar disorder, and describe the development of a specialised psychosocial intervention designed for young people following a first manic episode. This intervention is currently being tested in a National Health & Medical Research Council-funded, randomised controlled trail (RECOVER). Specifically, RECOVER aims to examine the efficacy of a six month, manualised psychological intervention on symptomatic and functional outcomes of young people immediately following a first manic episode. It focusses on engagement, shared formulation, balancing sleep and activity, engaging families, and supporting functioning, while also attending specifically to unhelpful schema that may maintain bipolar symptoms. Challenges in working with this population, and developmental modifications that may be required will be discussed, while acknowledging the strengths and opportunities presented when working with young people early in the course of bipolar disorder.
