Psychotherapy for Bipolar II Disorder: The Role of Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy.

Although bipolar II disorder is a highly prevalent, chronic illness that is associated with burdensome psychosocial impairment, relatively little is known about the best ways to treat the disorder. Moreover, psychosocial interventions for the management of bipolar II disorder have been largely unexplored, leaving psychologists with few evidence-based recommendations for best treatment practices. In this article, we provide information about interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT), an empirically supported treatment for bipolar I disorder that has preliminary evidence supporting its efficacy in bipolar II disorder. After reviewing the phenomenology of bipolar II disorder and differentiating it from bipolar I disorder, we summarize the extant empirical support for using psychotherapy in the management of bipolar II disorder. We explore what is known about the role of psychotherapy in the management of bipolar II disorder as well as lacunae in the evidence base. Next, we introduce IPSRT and discuss how it has been adapted for use as a treatment for individuals suffering from bipolar II disorder. Specific strategies of the treatment are detailed, and preliminary evidence for the efficacy of IPSRT in bipolar II disorder is described. Finally, we present a case vignette demonstrating the use of IPSRT for an individual with bipolar II disorder.