Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT07748910

Enhancing Resilience and Quality of Life in Bipolar Disorder Through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a chronic and recurrent mood disorder characterized by alternating episodes of mania, depression, or mixed states, interspersed with periods of remission. These episodes can severely impair interpersonal relationships, occupational functioning, and overall quality of life. In 2019, approximately 40 million people worldwide were diagnosed with BD.

BD is a lifelong chronic condition despite pharmacotherapy and lifestyle changes. Traditional psychiatric care has primarily focused on symptom reduction and relapse prevention, often overlooking broader psychosocial aspects such as interpersonal functioning and life satisfaction. Recently, recovery has come to include living a meaningful life despite illness-related challenges.

Psychological resilience has gained prominence within this recovery framework. It refers to the capacity to adapt positively to adversity, shaped by both internal traits and external supports. Core elements include effective coping, adaptability, and recovery from stress, which support functional outcomes in mental illness.

Given the strong link between stress and relapse in BD, resilience is thought to play a critical role in illness trajectory. Research consistently shows that individuals with BD have lower resilience than healthy controls, and resilience is associated with fewer depressive symptoms and better quality of life.

Importantly, resilience is modifiable and can be enhanced through psychosocial interventions. Studies highlight the benefits of resilience-building programs in reducing depressive vulnerability and improving life satisfaction and emotion regulation. Among these, CBT effectively promotes cognitive and functional recovery in BD by targeting maladaptive thought patterns and building adaptive coping skills.

Despite growing evidence, few CBT-based interventions target resilience in individuals with BD. However, resilience is linked to key psychosocial competencies such as problem-solving, self-efficacy, assertiveness, and self-management. Based on this, the current study implemented a CBT-based Psychological Resilience Enhancement Program designed to strengthen adaptive coping and functional adjustment in individuals with BD.

Considering the substantial personal and societal burden of BD, enhancing psychological resilience is a critical therapeutic goal. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a CBT-based intervention on psychological resilience and quality of life in individuals with BD.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Bipolar Affective Disorder; Remission in Bipolar Disorder Bipolar and Related Disorders Mental Disorders Mood Disorders

Age range

18 year–60 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Sivas Numune Hospital

Sivas, 58000, Turkey (Türkiye)

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Aged between 18 and 60 years
  • Minimum of primary school education
  • Ability to communicate verbally
  • Score ≤ 5 on the YMRS
  • Score ≤ 17 on the BDI
  • Residence within the city center
  • Voluntary participation with signed informed consent

Exclusion criteria

  • Diagnosis of intellectual disability
  • Speech or hearing impairment
  • Presence of comorbid psychiatric disorders

Treatment and study plan

CBT-Based Psychological Resilience Enhancement Program for Individuals with BD

Behavioral

Session 1 (Psychoeducation): Enhancing knowledge and insight regarding Bipolar Disorder via Socratic questioning and case formulation.

Session 2 (Locus of Control): Shifting belief from external determinism to an internal locus of control using pie charts and didactic instruction.

Session 3 (Self-Management): Acquiring skills to manage early warning signs and high-risk behaviors.

Session 4 (Coping with Stress): Developing and implementing effective coping strategies.

Session 5 (Problem-Solving): Utilizing a structured approach to resolve daily life problems.

Session 6 (Thoughts and Emotions): Identifying emotional reactions to stimuli using the downward arrow technique, playing devil's advocate, and imagery.

Session 7 (Realistic Thoughts): Fostering cognitive flexibility through examining evidence and evaluating thought functionality.

Session 8 (Social Skills): Establishing external support systems to reinforce self-esteem and self-efficacy via role-playing.

Other names: Intervention group

Primary outcomes

  1. Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC)

    Time frame: Baseline, 9 week and 21. week

    Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC): Developed by Connor and Davidson in 2003 to measure individuals' psychological resilience, this scale primarily focuses on stress, coping, and adaptability. It is a 25-item, five-point Likert-type scale, with each item evaluated between 0 and 4, ranging from "not true at all" (0 points) to "true nearly all the time" (4 points). The maximum achievable score on the scale is 100. Higher scores denote greater psychological resilience, whereas lower scores indicate reduced resilience. During its development phase, the scale was administered to both normative and clinical populations.

    Data collected face-to-face via clinical interview

  2. Brief Quality of Life in Bipolar Disorder Scale (Brief QoL.BD)

    Time frame: Baseline, 9. week and 21. week

    Brief Quality of Life in Bipolar Disorder Scale (Brief QoL.BD): Developed by Michalak and Murray (2010) to evaluate the quality of life in patients with bipolar disorder. It is a 12-item quality of life scale specifically designed for bipolar disorder. It comprises one item for each of the following core domains: physical health, sleep, mood, cognition, leisure, social relationships, spirituality, finances, household, self-esteem, independence, and identity. The scale is rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 ("strongly disagree") to 5 ("strongly agree"), yielding a total score between 12 and 60. Higher scores indicate a better quality of life.

    Data collected face-to-face via clinical interview

  3. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)

    Time frame: Baseline, 9. week and 21. week

    Beck Depression Inventory (BDI): This scale consists of 21 items designed to measure the affective, somatic, cognitive, and motivational symptoms of depression, with each item scored on a scale from 0 to 3. The total possible score ranges from 0 to 63. The assessment is based on the cumulative score obtained from all items, where higher scores indicate greater depression severity. In the present study, the BDI was utilized to verify the remission status required for the inclusion of patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Patients who scored 17 or lower on the inventory were included in the research.

    Data collected face-to-face via clinical interview

  4. Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS)

    Time frame: Baseline, 9. week and 21. week

    Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS): Developed by Young et al. in 1978, this scale is utilized to assess the severity of manic states. It comprises 11 Likert-type items, each assessing symptom severity across five levels. The total score ranges from 0 to 60, with higher scores denoting increased mania severity. In the current study, the YMRS was employed to confirm the remission status necessary for the inclusion of patients with bipolar disorder. Patients obtaining a score of 5 or lower on the scale were eligible for inclusion.

    Data collected face-to-face via clinical interview

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Cumhuriyet University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Impact of Resilience Improvement Program on Resilience and Quality of Life of Patients Diagnosed With Bipolar Disorder

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2023
Study completion
2023
First posted
Aug 6, 2026
Registry last updated
Aug 6, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.