In this article, we review empirical research on the role of individuals’ current environmental contexts,
cognitive styles, and developmental histories as risk factors for the onset, course, and expression of bipolar
spectrum disorders. Our review is focused on the following overarching question: Do psychosocial factors truly
contribute risk to the onset, course, or expression of bipolar disorders? As a secondary issue, we also address
whether the psychosocial risks for bipolar disorders are similar to those for unipolar depression. We begin by
discussing the methodological requirements for demonstrating a psychosocial risk factor and the challenges posed
by bipolar spectrum disorders for psychosocial risk research. Next, we review the extant studies on the role of
recent life events and supportive and nonsupportive social interactions (current environment) in bipolar disorders,
as well as psychosocial treatments designed to remediate these current environmental factors. We then review the
role of cognitive styles featured as vulnerabilities in theories of unipolar depression as risk factors for bipolar
disorder alone and in combination with life events, including studies of cognitive-behavioral therapies for bipolar
disorder. Finally, we review studies of parenting and maltreatment histories in bipolar disorders. We conclude with
an assessment of the state of the psychosocial risk factors literature in bipolar disorder with regard to our guiding
questions.