IPSRT draws upon principles from interpersonal psychotherapy, an evidence-based treatment for depression[4] and emphasizes the importance of daily routine (rhythm).
[5] IPSRT was developed by Ellen Frank, PhD at the University of Pittsburgh who published a book on her theories: Treating Bipolar Disorder, a Clinician's Guide to Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy.
[6] Her research on IPSRT[7][8] has shown that, in combination with medication, solving interpersonal problems and maintaining regular daily rhythms of sleeping, waking, eating, and exercise can increase quality of life, reduce mood symptoms, and help prevent relapse in people with BD.
[10][11][12][13] Changes in daily routines place stress on the body's maintenance of sleep-wake cycles, appetite, energy, and alertness,[8] all of which are affected during mood episodes.
These experiences can be disruptive to social rhythms and thus, serve as targets of treatment to prevent the onset and recurrence of mood episodes seen in bipolar disorder.
IPSRT typically proceeds in four phases:[6][8] Once the interpersonal problem area of focus is chosen, the following strategies may be used:[16] Individuals with BD benefit from a higher level of stability in their sleep and daily routines than those with no history of affective illness.
Participants in the IPSRT group also had higher regularity of social rhythms at the end of acute treatment, which was associated with reduced likelihood of relapse during maintenance phase.
STEP-BD was a long-term outpatient study investigating the benefits of psychotherapies in conjunction with pharmacotherapy in treating episodes of depression and mania, as well as preventing relapse in people with bipolar disorder.
In an open trial aimed at prevention, adolescents (N=13) who were identified as high risk for bipolar disorder, due to having a first-degree relative with BD, received IPSRT.