Managing Bipolar Disorder From Urgent Situations to Maintenance Therapy, Part 2: Focus on Maintenance.

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Almost a century ago, Emil Kraepelin,¹ the father of modern psychiatry, described bipolar disorder as having a prolonged course, with relapse being the rule rather than the exception. Rakesh Jain, M.D., M.P.H., explained that, despite the passage of time, relapse of bipolar disorder remains a critical problem for patients and clinicians. Presently, the importance of maintenance treatment is widely recognized among clinicians, and several pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic options are available that have demonstrated their effectiveness in randomized clinical trials.