Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Psychiatry 1735-4587 12 1 2017 02 28 21 28 EN farhad farid hoseini Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Ibn-e-Sina Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. mehdi baniasadi Psychiatrist, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Ibn-e-Sina Hospital, Mashhad, Iran. mohammadreza fayyazi bordbar Professor of Psychiatry, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Ibn-e-Sina Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. meysam pourgholami Psychiatrist and Fellow in Psychotherapy, Mental Health Research Center, Tehran Institute of Psychiatry- School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. samira ahrari Psychiatrist and Fellow in Psychotherapy, Mental Health Research Center, Tehran Institute of Psychiatry- School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. negar asgharipour Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Ibn-e-Sina Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. 2016 02 17 Objective: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a disabling psychiatric disorder with frequent recurrences. Besides pharmacotherapy, psychoeducation could be helpful in reducing symptoms as well as recurrence of this disorder, leading to improvement of patients’ quality of life. This study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of a culturally adjusted structured program for training Iranian BD patients. Method: In a 6-month course (spring and summer 2014), 24 BD patients, visiting the outpatient clinic of Ibn-Sina Hospital in Mashhad and experiencing euthymic phase, were allocated in to 2 groups of intervention and control. The intervention group received 8 sessions of psychoeducation in four weeks. Patients in the control group received the usual treatment. The patients were evaluated with Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Young Mania Rating Scale, and Short Form 36 before the intervention and 4 weeks later, and the results were compared using independent t test. The patients were reexamined after 6 months for recurrence, hospitalization, treatment adherence, and visiting a psychiatrist, and were compared with patients in the control groups. Results: There was a significant difference in the intervention group in improvement in quality of life before and after treatment (p<0.003). In addition, the difference was significant between the 2 groups in the number of recurrence (p<0.001) and hospitalization (p<0.000) in 6 months. Conclusion: In addition to pharmacotherapy, psychoeducation of patients with BD can improve their quality of life and decrease the risk of disorder recurrence. https://ijps.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijps/article/view/615 https://ijps.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijps/article/download/615/631