# Psychoeducational Program Increases Telomerase Activity in Bipolar Disorder: A Gender‐Based Randomized Controlled Trial

## TL;DR

A psychoeducational program increased telomerase activity in bipolar disorder patients, especially in women, suggesting it may help reduce cellular aging.

## Contribution

The study reveals gender-specific effects of psychoeducation on telomerase activity in bipolar disorder.

## Key findings

- The psychoeducational group showed a significant increase in telomerase activity compared to the control group.
- Female participants experienced greater increases in telomerase activity than males.
- The results highlight the potential of psychoeducation to influence stress-related biomarkers in bipolar disorder.

## Abstract

This randomized controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of a psychoeducational program in enhancing telomerase activity (TA) among patients with bipolar disorder (BD), with a specific focus on gender differences.

A total of 62 participants were assigned to either the psychoeducation (PE) group or the control (CTR) group, with TA measured both before and after the intervention.

Results demonstrated a significant increase in TA in the PE group compared to the controls at the conclusion of the study. Notably, gender‐specific analyses revealed that female participants showed significant increases in both TA and delta TA (ΔTA), with ΔTA PE = 0.586 ± 0.273 and ΔTA CTR = −0.251 ± 0.177. In contrast, male participants exhibited significant changes only in ΔTA, with ΔTA PE = 0.257 ± 0.138 and ΔTA CTR = −0.144 ± 0.1194.

These findings suggest that psychoeducational interventions have differential gender‐specific effects, underscoring the importance of personalized approaches in the treatment of BD.

The current study evaluates the importance of a psychoeducational intervention on telomerase activity in bipolar patients. Our results show that participation in the program leads to an increase in telomerase activity, mainly in female participants, suggesting that psychoeducation may offer a promising approach to mitigate cellular aging and manage stress‐related biomarkers in bipolar disorder.