Abstract
Relapse is common in bipolar disorder in spite of pharmacological intervention. Consequently research has begun to investigate the viability of adjunctive psychological therapies, such as group psychoeducation. This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of these psychoeducation groups for adults with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. The research to date indicates that psychoeducation can be effective, both from the clinician’s and client’s perspectives. The clearest evidence is for increased mood stability and reduced relapse. There is little evidence that psychoeducation improves medication adherence. Worryingly the literature is dominated by studies from a single research group where ecological validity is questionable, and the remainder are small scale, brief studies, many of which lack control groups. Overall psychoeducation shows promise, although more investigation is required; it is particularly pertinent to consider how psychoeducation may be helpful.