Bipolar Disorder: Causes, Contexts, and Treatments  Robert L. Leahy American Institute for Cognitive Therapy Bipolar disorder is a chronic and often devastating illness that may go undiagnosed because of its complex and diverse presentation. Clinicians can provide psychological treatments, in conjunction with pharmacother- apy, that can reduce the frequency, severity, and duration of manic and depressive episodes. Because bipolar disorder is characterized by high degrees of comorbidity and high rates of medical complications, the cli- nician will frequently need to implement other treatments targeted to comor- bid conditions, such as panic, generalized anxiety, substance abuse, and personality disorders. This article introduces the issue of Journal of Clini- cal Psychology: In Session devoted to the treatment of bipolar disorder. We describe the cognitive styles and personal vulnerabilities that pose greater risk for bipolar disorder. Three evidence-based psychological treat- ments (interpersonal social rhythm therapy, family-focused treatment, and cognitive-behavioral therapy) and current pharmacological treatments are examined and illustrated. Finally, we review the effectiveness and practice implications of a variety of treatments for this severe and underresearched disorder. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol: In Session 63: 417–424, 2007. Keywords: bipolar disorder; stress-diathesis; psychological treatments; pharmacological treatments Bipolar disorder afflicts 3 to 5% of the population with detrimental effect on life chances. Individuals with bipolar disorder face a lifetime risk for mood variations, often with devastating—even fatal—consequences. It is the sixth most common cause of disability in the United States (Altman et al., 2006). Lifetime rates for completed suicide are 60 times higher than that for the general population, with a much higher rate of completed suicides for each attempt—1:3 versus 1:30 (Baldessarini, Pompili, & Tondo, 2006). Qual- ity of life is often compromised for individuals with bipolar disorder. Lower wages, higher unemployment, work absenteeism, reliance on workmen’s compensation, higher rates of divorce, lower levels of educational attainment, higher arrest rates, and hospital- ization are often the consequences (Depp, Davis, Mittal, Patterson, & Jeste, 2006; Gardner Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to: Robert L. Leahy, American Institute for Cognitive Therapy, 136 East 57th Street, Suite 1101, New York, NY 10022; e-mail: aict@aol.com JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY: IN SESSION, Vol. 63(5), 417–424 (2007) © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI: 10.1002/jclp.20360