Self-compassion and Bipolar Disorder

Currently, pharmacotherapy is central in the management of bipolar disorder (BD), but does not guarantee satisfactory results for many patients. Existing psychotherapies, notably cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), show some effectiveness, but do not target the mechanisms that maintain the disorder. Indeed, people with BD present a low level of self-compassion, suffer from comorbidities (e.g. anxiety, depression), and have a high level of emotional dysregulation, which can contribute to increasing the risk of relapse and mood instability. In this context, it has been suggested that interventions targeting self-compassion could reduce BD psychopathology and strengthen emotional regulation skills. Two psychological therapies targeting self-compassion could be promising in the treatment of BD: Compassion-Based Therapy (CBT) and Cognitive Therapy focused on Mental Imagery (mTCI). These approaches partly emphasize compassionate mental imagery to promote self-soothing and emotion management skills. Studies on the feasibility and effectiveness of CBT and mTCI in the context of BD are few in number, and do not focus on their impact on emotional regulation abilities. Evaluating these therapies could lead to the development of more specific and effective interventions for people with TB.