Suicide Prevention by Lithium (SUPLI) – Challenges of a Multi-Center Prospective Study

This article describes the SUPLI (Suicide Prevention by Lithium) Study, the first prospective, randomized, double blind, placebo controlled multicenter trial focusing on the proposed suicide preventive effects of lithium in patients with suicidal behaviour but not suffering from bipolar disorder or recurrent major depressive disorder. Patients with a recent history of a suicide attempt are treated with lithium versus placebo during a 12-month period. The hypothesis is that lithium treatment will lead to a 50% reduction of suicidal behaviour. The protocol of the study & preliminary results are presented. (35 refs)