Effect of Cognitive Remediation Training on Quality of Life and Self-Esteem among Patients with Bipolar Disorder in Remission:A Preliminary Study

Bipolar affective disorder is a devastating mental illness with alternating episodes of mania, depression and mixed mood states with some inter episodic recovery phase in between. Age of onset of this illness can be at any age from childhood to old age. Usually people get affected by this serious illness during their adolescence, hence this affect their study, career and marriage prospects. Damage caused by this illness is not just limited to social, occupational, familial and financial aspects. Fundamental cognitive functions like attention, memory and executive function required for a life time will get badly affected due to the psychotic nature of the illness and long term use of psychiatric medicines. At present in our country, treatment of bipolar affective disorder is grossly centered on pharmacological management with mood stabilizers and antipsychotics. This study is an elementary effort to incorporate cognitive rededication training in the current treatment regime of bipolar affective disorder in order to enhance cognitive functions and thereby improve quality of life and self-esteem of patients with bipolar disorder in remission.