A manic patient worried about readmission; which intervention is appropriate?

• A. Draw lithium serum levels regularly, provide group therapy, discourage substance use, and recognize relapse signs.
• B. Discharge the patient with no follow-up.
• C. Ignore relapse signs and avoid substance abuse counseling.
• D. Use only antipsychotics and exclude psychotherapy.

Answer: (D)

The main idea is rapid stabilization during an acute manic episode to prevent readmission. In mania, urgent control of agitation and mood elevation is essential to keep the patient safe and reduce the likelihood of returning to hospital. An antipsychotic can quickly calm mania and reduce risk, providing the fastest path to stabilization in the crisis phase. Psychotherapy and long-term relapse prevention are important, but they don’t address the immediate risk as promptly as pharmacologic stabilization does. The other options either delay ongoing care, ignore follow-up, or rely on non-pharmacologic approaches in a crisis, making them less appropriate for preventing readmission in the acute setting.