A preliminary study of group therapy intervention for bipolar disorder based on the integrative cognitive model

The main aim of this research was to investigate the effect of the 8-week group therapy intervention based on the integrative cognitive model (ICM) of bipolar disorder. The sample was composed of 10 patients with bipolar I and bipolar II diagnoses. The group sessions were held once a week for 1.5 hours. For the quantitative measures, the group participants were assessed during pre-test, post-test and 3-month follow-up using the Turkish versions of the Beck Depression Inventory, the Hypomanic Attitudes and Positive Predictions Inventory, the Psychological Well-being Scale and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Quantitative analyses revealed that a reliable change was seen only in pre-test and post-test depression scores. However, this change could not be maintained at 3-month follow-up. For the qualitative analyses, data collected during semi-structured interviews were used. The thematic analyses results showed that the 8-week ICM-based group therapy was found to help participants make sound observations about their behaviors, decrease their feelings of loneliness and increase self-acceptance, and acceptance of the role of mood swings in their lives. Moreover, the results showed that participants found the following activities very beneficial: describing their emotions, evaluating the intensity of their emotions, identifying their life goals, coping with interpersonal conflicts, evaluating resources and going over strengths. In conclusion, the 8-week ICM-based group therapy had a positive impact on participants’ self-awareness, self-acceptance and self-perception. Key learning aims (1) To learn more about the integrative cognitive model and how it has been reconceptualized for group-based intervention. (2) To understand the structure and content of group CBT protocol for bipolar disorders based on the integrative cognitive model. (3) To consider possible advantages of group CBT for bipolar disorders during the recovery process.