Psychological Interventions in Bipolar Disorder

The purpose of this task force is to promote research, collaboration and clinical practice in the area of psychological therapies for people with bipolar disorder, and encompasses work on psychological mechanisms as well as the development, testing, implementation and practice of therapy.

The following objectives of the task force will enable the field to further develop psychological interventions and investigate their effectiveness in multi-center and international settings.

Build a more strongly connected research and clinical community focused on the psychology of bipolar disorders.
Improve representation of psychological disciplines within ISBD, including early career researchers and clinicians in the field.
Setting up international and broad collaboration in the development of psychological interventions for bipolar disorders, in order to save resources, improve the quality of research, and implement large trials.

Leads

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Kim Wright,
UK,
Chair

Emma Morton,
Australia,
Co-Chair

Louisa Sylvia,
USA,
Co-Chair

Members of Task Force

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Julieta Azevedo, UK

Uganda flag with black, yellow, and red horizontal stripes and a white disk containing a crowned crane in the center.

Harriet Birabwa, Uganda

Flag of Brazil: green field with a yellow diamond, blue globe of stars, and a curved white band reading Ordem e Progresso.

Tatiana Cohab Khafif, Brazil

Luisa de Siqueira Rotenberg, Brazil

Flag of New Zealand showing the Union Jack in the upper left and four red stars with white borders on a blue field (Southern Cross).

Katie Douglas, New Zealand

Australian flag: blue field with Union Jack in the canton, a large white Commonwealth Star, and the Southern Cross constellation of white stars on the right.

Joanne Leidreiter, Australia

Jennifer Levin, USA

K. Eve Lewandowski, USA

Hanne Lie Kjaerstad, Denmark

Dutch flag: red on top, white in the middle, blue on the bottom (horizontal tricolor)

Esther Mesman, Netherlands

David Miklowitz, USA

Dahlia Mukherjee, USA

Greg Murray, Australia

Rwanda Flag, three horizontal stripes in a 2:1:1 ratio: a top sky-blue band (double width), a middle yellow band, and a bottom green band. In the upper fly corner (top right) is a golden-yellow sun with 24 rays

Emmanuel Musoni Rwililiza, Rwanda

Danielle Novick, USA

Iceland flag, a sky-blue field with a redoff-center cross outlined in white

Halla Ólafsdóttir, Iceland

Thomas Richardson , UK

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Mirai So, Japan

Sarah Sperry, USA

Holly Swartz, USA

Yuko Toshishige, Japan

Hailey Tremain, Australia

Elizabeth Tyler, UK

Anna Van Meter, USA

Andrea Vassilev, USA

Lauren Weinstock, USA

Rajitha White, Australia

Eric Youngstrom, USA

Task Force Updates

Clinician Resource Page:

To learn more about evidence based psychological intervention resources for clinicians

Click Here

Publications:

2026

L. G.Sylvia, A. K.Gold, E.Morton, et al., “Examining Stepped Care as an Innovation in the Delivery of Psychological Treatments for Bipolar Disorder: Perspectives From Members of the International Society of Bipolar Disorders Psychological Interventions Task Force,” Bipolar Disorders28, no. 2 (2026): e70097.

2024

Wright, K., Koenders, M., Douglas, K.M., Faurholt-Jepsen, M., Lewandowski, K.E., Miklowitz, D.J., Morton, E., Murray, G., Richardson, T., de Siqueira Rotenberg, L., Sperry, S.H., Van Meter, A.R., Vassilev, A.B., Weiner, L., Weinstock, L.M. and Mesman, E. (2024), Psychological therapies for people with bipolar disorder: Where are we now, and what is next? ISBD Psychological Interventions Taskforce—Position paper. Bipolar Disord, 26: 523-528.