Comparing the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Recovery-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on bipolar depression and mania in Patients with Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder (BD) is one of the chronic psychiatric disorders that accompany depression and mania phases. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and recovery-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (RFCBT) on bipolar depression and mania in patients with BD.

This study was a semi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test type with a control group. The statistical population of this study included all patients with bipolar disorder in psychiatric hospitals of Mohariri, Ibn Sina, and Hafez in Shiraz. Out of this sample population, 36 bipolar patients were selected to participate in the study. After obtaining informed consent from them, samples matched in terms of sex, age, illness, and drug therapy (all patients received lithium). Then, they randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group. The criteria for entering the study include the definitive diagnosis of bipolar disorder by a psychiatrist; having a DSM-5 diagnostic criterion for having mania, semi-mania, major depression, or mixed-age; age over 18; having a minimum reading and writing literacy and the ability to complete questionnaires; ; Absence from the acute phase of illness or hospitalization in the hospital during the past 2 months due to the intolerance of psychological treatment in the critical period of the disease (at least two months from the last recurrence period) and willingness to participate in the study. Exit criteria include spinal bipolar disorder (more than four periods of depression and mania less than one month that occurred during the past year), secondary bipolar disorder due to organic causes, and history of substance abuse during the past and present, the past or current history of other psychiatric disorders was in the first and second axis. A test group (12 people: 4 women, eight men) received cognitive-based Mindfulness Therapy. The second trial group (12 people: 4 women, eight men) received cognitive behavioral therapy focused on recovery, and the control group (12 people: 5 women, seven men) received no intervention and placed on the waiting list. Participants completed the Bipolar Depression Scale and Yang Mania Scale in pre-test and post-test. Data were analyzed by SPSS-22 software using covariance analysis.

The results of this study showed that both cognitive-based cognitive therapy interventions focused on recovery significantly decreased bipolar depression and mania in bipolar patients (p< 0.01). However, among There were no significant differences in the effectiveness of these two interventions on these variables.

In general, according to the findings of this research, it can be concluded that depression and mania which are the symptoms of patients with bipolar disorder can be as a result of the use of psychological interventions such as cognitive therapy based on mind-awareness and focused cognitive behavior therapy Improve on recovery. Also, since the sample of this study was under medical treatment, these two treatments can be used in conjunction with drug therapy for patients with bipolar disorder. On the other hand, these two treatments did not have any effect on depression and mania, and both treatments were equally effective.