Dr. Holly Swartz - Social Rhythm Therapy for Bipolar Disorder

Thoughts on Record: Podcast of the Ottawa Institute of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

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Bipolar disorder is often thought of as a mental disorder that is treated exclusively with medication when in fact there are a number of evidence-based psychotherapeutic techniques that can be used to complement traditional pharmacotherapy. Dr. Holly Swartz joins us for a discussion of the core themes in her new book, Social Rhythm Therapy for Bipolar Disorder. In this conversation we cover:

• a brief overview of bipolar disorder
• what Social Rhythm Therapy (SRT) is and how it is used to treat bipolar disorder
• the key principles and components of SRT
• challenges or considerations when implementing SRT with adolescents or young adults with bipolar disorder
• how SRT complements other treatments for bipolar disorder
• how SRT addresses the relationship between daily routines, sleep patterns, and mood regulation
• implementing SRT within a family system
• addressing challenges related to sleep from a behavioural vs. pharmacological route
• the unique challenge that technology, screen-time etc. pose to forming healthy biological routines
• advice for mental health professionals who are interested in incorporating SRT into their practice for bipolar disorder

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Holly A. Swartz is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She received her undergraduate degree from Harvard College, medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and completed her psychiatric residency training at New York Hospital / Cornell University School of Medicine. Dr. Swartz’s research focuses on understanding and optimizing treatments for mood disorders. She is well known for her work evaluating Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) and Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT) as treatments for depression and bipolar disorder. Her research focuses on the role of IPSRT and pharmacotherapy in the management of bipolar II depression and IPT in the management of maternal depression. She is engaged in collaborative projects to develop computational frameworks to model dyadic interpersonal behaviors in relation to psychotherapy process and outcomes and to understand neural correlates of change in chronotherapeutic behavioral interventions. Her research has been funded by the National Institute of Health, National Science Foundation, and the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation.
Dr. Swartz has held elected leadership positions for national and international professional organizations, including serving as President of the International Society of Bipolar Disorders (ISBD ; 2024-2026), President of the International Society for Interpersonal Psychotherapy (ISIPT ; 2015-17), and Board Member of the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology (ASCP ; 2021-2029). She is the 2018 recipient of the Depression and Bipolar Association (DBSA) Gerald L. Klerman Senior Investigator Award in recognition of outstanding research contributing to the understanding, causes, diagnosis, and treatment of mood disorders. She is the author of over 100 publications, co-author of Bipolar II Disorder: Recognition, Understanding and Treatment (American Psychiatric Association Publishing, 2019), author of The Social Rhythm Therapy Workbook for Bipolar Disorder: Stabilize Your Circadian Rhythms to Reduce Stress, Manage Moods, and Prevent Future Episodes (New Harbinger Press, 2024), and Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Psychotherapy. She serves as a member of the Scientific Advisory Boards of DBSA and the International Bipolar Foundation.