Learning Self-Compassion Skills to Help Manage Bipolar Disorder

This study is testing whether two types of therapy — Compassion-Based Therapy and Cognitive Therapy focused on Mental Imagery — can help people with bipolar disorder. Both therapies use guided exercises to help you be kinder to yourself and develop better emotion management skills. The researchers want to see if these approaches work alongside your regular medications and can reduce anxiety, depression, and mood instability.

While medications are important for bipolar disorder, many people still struggle with mood swings, anxiety, and emotional control. This treatment uses a different approach — building self-compassion and emotion regulation skills — to address the problems that keep people's bipolar disorder active and reduce the risk of relapse.