Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT)

Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT) is an important psychological treatment for bipolar disorders and a key strategy in evidence-based approaches for reducing the burden of bipolar disorder. IPSRT is a hybrid psychotherapy that adds a behavioral intervention, social rhythm therapy (SRT), to interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT). IPSRT integrates psychoeducational, interpersonal, and behavioral strategies to reduce symptoms, improve functioning, and prevent the recurrence of episodes. In IPSRT, the clinician helps the patient understand and monitor their illness, learn new strategies to reduce their interpersonal distress and build positive social support, and establish and monitor regular social rhythms. IPSRT rests on the belief that stable social rhythms promote stable biological rhythms through a process of entrainment. In turn, stable rhythms lead to stable moods as well as short- and long-term recovery. With IPSRT, individuals experience better symptom management and quality of life than pharmacotherapy alone can offer. In this chapter, we first provide a brief introduction to IPSRT and a summary of the theoretical framework underlying IPSRT. Then, we present an overview of IPSRT and its empirical support. Next, we provide a practical explanation of how to conduct IPSRT and highlight some considerations. We end with a case study, discussion of research needed, and chapter summary.