Effects of Lithium Treatment and its Discontinuation on Suicidal Behavior in Bipolar Manic-Depressive Disorders

The authors compared suicidal rates in published studies of patients treated with lithium in order to determine whether mood-altering treatments reduce the risk of suicidal behavior. They found that lithium maintenance is associated with sustained reduction of suicidal acts in manic-depressive disorders, & that treatment discontinuation, particularly abruptly, led to early affective morbidity & suicidal behavior. Implications for diagnosis & treatment are discussed. (58 refs)