Functional Improvement of Bipolar Affective Disorders

Bipolar disorder has traditionally been associated with a better outcome than schizophrenia because of a presumed absence of cognitive impairment and seemingly normal functioning between episodes. Thus, generally little attention has been given to psychosocial outcomes in patients with bipolar disorder. However, in contrast to early studies, recent studies point to a significant degree of psychosocial dysfunction even when patients are euthymic. Recent attention has focused on the need to develop therapeutic strategies that allow patients with bipolar affective disorder to return to a premorbid level of function. With appropriate drug treatment, only about 40 percent of recovered patients will suffer relapses. Mood stabilizers, ECT, and psychotherapy are the treatment modalities for bipolar disorder. Along with traditional treatment psychosocial interventions also improves the functional ability of the Bipolar clients.