Lithium and Mortality: A 15 Year Follow-Up

Has the Effectiveness of Lithium Changed? Impact of the Variety of Lithium's Effects

“…There now exists a large body of data compatible with the conclusions that long-term lithium treatment markedly reduces mortality and suicidal behavior and that the mortality of affective disorders is diminished to a level indistinguishable from that of the general population (e.g., Müller-Oerlinghausen et al 1992, Coppen et al 1992. The antisuicidal effect is also supported by findings from a comparative, long-term study of lithium and carbamazepine, in which only lithium-treated patients remained completely free of suicides (Greil et al 1997).…”

“…Over the years, however, the initially narrow scope of lithium's caliber in affective disorders has quickly ex-panded, adding to its well-established antimanic and prophylactic benefits antiaggressive effects (particularly studies of Sheard 1978Sheard , 1984, antipsychotic potential (e.g., investigations of Garver Hutchinson 1988;Lenz et al 1987, Lenz et al 1989, antisuicidal and mortality-reducing ability (specifically, studies of Müller-Oerlinghausen et al 1992;Coppen et al 1992), and possibly also antidepressant (Mendels 1976(Mendels , 1982 and antidepressant-augmenting effects (de Montigny et al 1983).…”