Bipolar and Related Disorders: Signs, Symptoms, Treatment Strategies, Updated 1st Edition

Course overview

Written for mental health professionals, including social workers, counselors, marriage and family therapists, and psychologists, this basic-level course presents essential information about bipolar and related disorders, including diagnostic information from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th Edition (DSM-5). Because of its health-related consequences, bipolar disorder is among the top 10 causes of disability worldwide. Using a holistic, multimodal approach, clinicians can help the client stabilize his or her mood and return to a normal level of functioning. This course describes the symptoms and the biological, psychological, and social factors that must be considered when working with individuals who have bipolar disorder. The course portrays two different fictional clients to highlight the various aspects of bipolar and related disorders, including their social and occupational impact, and describes elements of treatment that are particularly useful. This course discusses psychopharmacology, and participants will learn about indications for and side effects of typical medications used in the treatment of bipolar disorders, such as mood stabilizers, atypical antipsychotics, and antidepressants. The course describes how single-system design methodology is used for outcome evaluation, an important consideration in today's environment of managed care and third-party payers. Relapse prevention is discussed, including medication adherence and individual therapy.