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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2018 Apr 27.
Published in final edited form as: Fam Process. 2016 Jul 29;55(3):483–499. doi: 10.1111/famp.12237

TABLE 1.

Six Objectives of Family-Focused Therapy for Young Adults with Bipolar I Disorder

Assist the patient and caregivers in:

  1. Integrating the experiences associated with episodes of mania or depression.

  2. Accepting the notion of a vulnerability to future episodes.

  3. Accepting the necessity of mood-stabilizing medications for symptom control.

  4. Distinguishing between the patient’s personality and his or her bipolar disorder.

  5. Recognizing and learning to cope with stressful life events that may trigger mood recurrences.

  6. Reestablishing functional family or marital relationships after an illness episode.