Early Recovery Adherence Therapy for Bipolar Alcoholics

Co-occurring alcoholism and bipolar disorder is a significant comorbid condition representing serious clinical challenges and treatment difficulties and is associated with severe disabilities, morbidity, and heightened risk for suicide. Despite the recent increased attention to the problem of psychiatric comorbidity with alcoholism and other substance use disorders, little research has been conducted on this complex form of comorbidity, especially in regard to effective treatment approaches.

Enhancing treatment engagement, adherence, and retention is perhaps the most challenging clinical concern faced by clinicians caring for this population. Poor adherence is a major clinical problem among bipolar disorder with alcoholism. Poor adherence is associated with substantial medical expenses and loss of productivity.

Factors interfering with treatment adherence range from access to treatment, to health care providers disposition towards these patients, and to symptoms related to both bipolar disorder and alcoholism. Enhancing motivation for treatment and improving treatment adherence are essential components for an initial treatment intervention for this population. Our proposed treatment intervention is based on the principles of Motivational Enhancement Therapy and also integrates psychosocial and pharmacotherapy interventions that have been successfully used with alcoholism and other addictive disorders. It is practical and easy to learn and administer in the framework of general clinical care by health professionals with varied educational backgrounds.

Inclusion criteria

• Meet DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for Bipolar disorder and alcohol use disorder
• Actively abusing alcohol (drinking on 2 or more occasions per week or having 3 or more drinks per occasion)
• Have been stabilized on a mood stabilizer such as Valproate
• Absence of any exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria

• Schizophrenia,, schizoaffective disorder or any psychotic disorder, unipolar major depression,, mental retardation, and signs of impaired cognitive functioning.
• Any severe or unstable neurological and medical condition including epilepsy, history of brain injury, encephalitis, or any organic brain syndrome, severe cardiac, liver, kidney, endocrine, hematological, or impending surgery.

Inability to read or understand the study forms and consent form

• Pregnancy

The presence of non-alcohol substance use disorders will not constitute exclusion criteria unless it is clearly the drug of choice or it requires medications such as opioid substitution