The Effectiveness of Enhanced Care Psychoeducational Therapy on Irritability, Thought Control Ability, and Executive Functioning in Adolescents at Risk for Bipolar Disorder
Keywords:
Bipolar disorder, psychoeducational advanced care therapy, irritability, thought control ability, executive functions, adolescentsAbstract
Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of psychoeducational enhanced care therapy on irritability, thought control ability, and executive functions in adolescents at risk for bipolar disorder.
Methods and Materials: This study employed a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with a control group and was conducted on 32 male students aged 15 to 18 years who were at risk for bipolar disorder in District 3 of the Isfahan Department of Education during the 2023–2024 academic year. The experimental group received six 2-hour sessions of psychoeducational enhanced care therapy, while the control group received no intervention. Research instruments included the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ), the Emotionality–Activity–Sociability (EAS) Temperament Survey Irritability Subscale, the Thought Control Ability Questionnaire (TCAQ), and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analysis of covariance.
Findings: The results indicated that the intervention had a significant effect on reducing irritability (84% of variance), increasing thought control ability (86% of variance), and improving executive functions (89% of variance).
Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of early psychosocial interventions in preventing the exacerbation of bipolar disorder symptoms in adolescents and suggest that this therapy can be utilized as a preventive strategy in educational and clinical settings.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Zohreh Salahshoori (Author); Fatemeh Izadi (Corresponding Author)
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