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STEP-BD is the largest treatment study ever conducted for bipolar disorder. It is a long-term outpatient study (5 years) that aims to find out which treatments, or combinations of treatments, are most effective for treating episodes of depression and mania and for preventing recurrent episodes. While many treatments are used currently for bipolar disorder, including medications and psychotherapies, doctors are uncertain which of these treatments actually work best. Findings from STEP-BD will help improve the treatment standards used by doctors in everyday clinical practice.
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STEP-BD is unusual in that it offers participants long-term continuity of care. Participants will be followed and treated in a consistent manner throughout their involvement in the study, even when they are feeling well. In addition, STEP-BD studies most treatments currently used for bipolar disorder, including medications and "talk" therapies, to determine the best ways to manage the illness over time. In more traditional clinical trials, individuals participate only for a limited time and have limited treatment options.
