A major study has just started in Christchurch, New Zealand, and it will examine the effectiveness of a new type of therapy called “Social Rhythm Therapy”. Social rhythm therapy examines social relationships to look for triggers, and to thereby head off recurrent bipolar episodes. The study is especially large, receiving $1.2 million in funding. It has two goals. First, it is looking at the effectiveness of social rhythm therapy itself. Second, it is looking at whether or not it is more cost-effective to treat bipolar disorder through medication plus therapy, rather than through medication alone using GPs. More information about the study can be found here.
Commentary
If this study could show that using social rhythm therapy plus medication was actually more
cost-effective than just using medication with a GP, this would provide significant evidence to support more state-funded therapy throughout the world. Often, reasoning about what is most cost-effective is rather simplistic: if the therapy costs more money, it is more expensive. However, since more bipolar episodes are expensive in themselves, leading to hospitalization, lost work time and accelerating future episodes, therapy might actually
save money. If this study could demonstrate that therapy, at least of certain types, actually saves money, other governments might be willing to provide more than simply medication.
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