Bipolar Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Bipolar, including details on bipolar disorder, symptoms, treatment, depression, medication.

The impact of lithium long-term medication on suicidal behavior and mortality of bipolar patients.

Müller-Oerlinghausen B, Felber W, Berghöfer A, Lauterbach E, Ahrens B

Former Research Group Clinical Psychopharmacology, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany. bmoe@zedat.fu-berlin.de

The article reviews the existing evidence and the concept of the anti-suicidal effect of lithium long-term treatment in bipolar patients. The core studies supporting the concept of a suicide preventive effect of lithium in bipolar patients come from the international research group IGSLI, from Sweden, Italy, and recently also from the U.S. Patients on lithium possess an eight- time lower suicide risk than those off lithium. The anti-suicidal effect is not necessarily coupled to lithium's episode suppressing efficacy. The great number of lives potentially saved by lithium adds to the remarkable benefits of lithium in economical terms. The evidence that lithium can effectively reduce suicide risk has been integrated into modern algorithms in order to select the optimal maintenance therapy for an individual patient.

Published 15 July 2005 in Arch Suicide Res, 9(3): 307-19.
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