Pilot Study of Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy for Subthreshold Bipolar

Exclusion criteria

• . Severe or poorly controlled concurrent medical disorders that may cause confounding depressive symptoms (i.e., untreated hypothyroidism or lupus) or require medication(s) that could cause depressive symptoms (i.e., high doses of beta blockers or alpha interferon)
• . Meets criteria for one of the following concurrent DSM-IV psychiatric disorders: any psychotic or organic mental disorder, bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, current alcohol or drug dependence, primary obsessive compulsive disorder or primary eating disorders. (primary refers to the diagnosis associated with the most functional impairment); borderline personality disorder; antisocial personality disorder
• . Acute suicidal or homicidal ideation or requiring psychiatric hospitalization. Subjects who require inpatient treatment will be excluded (or discontinued) from the study and referred to one of WPIC's inpatient mood disorder units, or, if preferred, to an inpatient facility nearer to the patient's home
• . Severe cognitive deficits that would preclude treatment with psychotherapy and/or prevent completion of study questionnaires
• . Non-fluent in English. Subjects must be able to speak and understand English because one of the study interventions, IPSRT, is an experimental talk-therapy. The DMDPP does not have multilingual therapists.
• . Current participation in another form of individual psychotherapy. Concurrent participation in couples therapy, peer support groups (such as Alcoholics Anonymous), or family therapy will be permitted
• . Prior lack of response to a trial of at least 12 weeks of IPSRT conducted by a qualified IPSRT therapist