Child- and Family-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Pediatric Bipolar Disorder: Development and Preliminary Results

Mood disorders in childhood and adolescence

“…72 The main objectives of psychotherapy in the treatment of children and adolescents with BD are understanding the disease; increasing family engagement; teaching strategies for solving problems and dealing with symptoms; reducing prejudice led by the disease; and preventing further recurrences. 73 The psychosocial interventions that have evidencebased efficacy are psychoeducation for parents and children, 74 family-focused therapy, 75,76 and CBT. 77 Psychoeducation aims to teach patients and families about the disorder and its treatment, especially the recognition of early signs of relapse.…”

Further evidence of an association between adolescent bipolar disorder with smoking and substance use disorders: A controlled study

“…BPD is an increasingly recognized prevalent and persistent disorder affecting children and adolescence , Brady, et al, 1998, Geller, et al, 1998a, 2004, Geller and Luby, 1997, Weller, et al, 1995, Wozniak, et al, 1995, that commonly onsets prior to SUD (Stowell and Estroff, 1992, West, et al, 1996, Wilens, et al, 1997a. Also, persistent BPD into adulthood is associated with SUD (Dunner andFeinman, 1995, Strakowski, et al, 1998) and BPD is treatable (Kowatch, et al, 2005, Pavuluri, et al, 2004. Thus, efforts at improving the understanding of the nature of the association between BPD and SUD in the young can lead to further refinements in efforts aimed at mitigating this risk To this end, this study's main aim was to re examine the association between BPD and SUD in adolescents.…”

Evidence-Based Treatment

“…The RAINBOW programme is a child-and familyfocused cognitive behavioural intervention developed by Pavuluri et al [132] for pre-adolescent children aged 8-12 years. RAINBOW is an acronym derived from the first letters of seven key elements of the programme: Routine, Affect regulation, I can do it!, No negative thoughts and live in the now, Be a good friend and lifestyle for parents, Oh, how can we solve the problem, and Ways to get support.…”

“…The programme provides children, families and teachers with psychoeducation about bipolar disorder, strategies for reducing family-based expressed emotion and stressful events and training in coping skills, communication and problem-solving. In a single group outcome study of 34 young people aged 5-17 years with bipolar disorder who were on mood stabilizing medication, Pavuluri et al [132] found that the RAINBOW programme led to improvements in depressive and manic symptoms, aggression, ADHD symptoms and global functioning.…”