Patients with bipolar disorder often develop a drug tolerance to mood-regulating medications. These medications also come with severe side effects, making MBCT an effective treatment in conjunction with medication.

Tulane University

MBCT is used in conjunction with mood-regulating medications for patients with bipolar disorder to treat symptoms of depression, anxiety, and mania. This is done to expand courses of treatment and prolong improvement of symptoms, as patients with bipolar disorder can often relapse.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Bipolar Disorder

Xuan, R., Li, X., Qiao, Y., Guo, Q., Liu, X., Deng, W., Hu, Q., Wang, K., &amp; Zhang, L. (2020). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for bipolar disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Research, 290, 113116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113116 

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for bipolar disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis

MBCT reduces both anxiety and depression in the few months post-treatment, but the improvement was not still significant after a year. More research is needed to determine how improvement can be maintained through prolonged MBCT or mindfulness practices in general.

The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) on Depression and Anxiety in Patients with Bipolar Disorder

No significant improvement of mania was found directly after an MBCT intervention because MBCT research is done mostly on patients of very severe mania which comes with hyperactivity, poor focus, etc. For this reason, MBCT may be more effective for patients with less severe mania, but more research is needed. After a year-long follow up of consistent at-home mindfulness practice, mania symptoms improved.


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