Deconstructing the process of change in cognitive behavioral therapy: An alternative approach focusing on the episodic retrieval mode.

Lane et al. view the process of memory reconsolidation as a main ingredient of psychotherapeutic change. They ascertain that in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) high priority is given to the "semantic structure." We argue that memory-related mechanisms of change in CBT are more nuanced than the target article presents. Furthermore, we propose to partially shift the focus from the process of reconsolidation to the retrieval operations.

Psychotherapy through the phases of bipolar disorder: evidence for general efficacy and differential effects.

The obstacle facing pharmacotherapy for bipolar disorder is that almost half of the patients do not achieve recovery over the duration of treatment. Although the reason for this disappointing clinical outcome remains unclear, structured psychotherapy has helped to fill these gaps in the treatment of bipolar disorder. Psychoeducation, family-focused therapy, interpersonal and social rhythm therapy, and cognitive behavior therapy have all received attention in the research literature. In this review, by assessing the outcomes from randomized control trials across the phases of bipolar disorder, we demonstrate that psychotherapy is an effective adjunctive treatment. We also show that the use of psychotherapy for bipolar disorder has differential results depending on when and under what conditions it is administered.

How well do psychosocial interventions work in bipolar disorder?

OBJECTIVE: Although medication is the mainstay of treatment for bipolar disorder, several adjunctive psychosocial interventions have been manualized over the last decade. This paper's objective is to empirically evaluate the different treatment approaches. METHOD: We conducted a systematic review of the recent literature pertaining to psychosocial interventions in bipolar, using MEDLINE and PsycINFO. Bibliographies of papers were scrutinized for further relevant references. Articles published from 1999 up to and including 2006 were reviewed. Randomized controlled trials were emphasized. CONCLUSIONS: Although psychological models of bipolar disorder fail to inform the psychotherapy treatment to the same extent as in unipolar depression, manualized adjunctive, short-term psychotherapies have been shown to offer fairly consistent benefits to bipolar disorder patients. Cognitive-behavioural therapy, family-focused therapy, and psychoeducation offer the most robust efficacy in regard to relapse prevention, while interpersonal therapy and cognitive-behavioural therapy may offer more benefit in treating residual depressive symptoms.