Year: 1991 Source: Journal of Affective Disorders, v.23, no.1, (September 1991), p.1-7 SIEC No: 19911286

Numerous studies have shown that patients with mood disorders who do not receive prophylactic medication are at increased risk of death, particularly from suicide. The authors compared the mortality of 103 patients attending a lithium clinic with that expected on the basis of age-sex-year specific rates. Only 10 patients died during the study, lower than that expected. There were no suicides which suggests that lithium can reverse the excess mortality associated with recurrent mood disorders.