Children and adolescents who are at high risk for bipolar disorder achieved longer times between mood episodes after receiving family-focused therapy, according to results of a randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Psychiatry.

“If kids who are at risk for bipolar disorder are living in chaotic households with no boundaries or highly critical parents, they will do worse over time,” David J. Miklowitz, PhD, of the department of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles, said in a press release. “Involving the parents in the child’s therapy teaches family members how to create a more protective environment so that kids can stay well for longer.”