Group psychoeducation for stabilised bipolar disorders: 5-year outcome of a randomised clinical trial

Background The long-term efficacy of psychological interventions for bipolar disorders has not been tested. Aims This study assessed the efficacy of group psychoeducation to prevent recurrences and to reduce time spent ill for people with bipolar disorders. Method A randomised controlled trial with masked outcome assessment comparing group psychoeducation and nonstructured group intervention during 5-year follow-up. One hundred and twenty people with bipolar disorders were included in the study and 99 completed 5-year follow-up. Time to any recurrence, number of recurrences, total number of days spent ill, frequency and length of hospitalisations were the main outcome measures. Results At the 5-year follow-up, time to any recurrence was longer for the psychoeducation group (log rank=9.953, P<0.002). The psychoeducation group had fewer to recurrences (3.86 v. 8.37, F = 23.6, P<0.0001) of any type and they spent less time acutely ill (154 v. 586 days, F=31.66, P=0.0001). The median number of days of hospitalisation per hospitalised participant was also lower for the psychoeducation group (45 v. 30, F = 4.26, P = 0.047). Conclusions Six-month group psychoeducation has long-lasting prophylactic effects in individuals with bipolar disorders. Group psychoeducation is the first psychological intervention showing such a long-term maintained efficacy in people with bipolar disorders.