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Therapeutics
Review: long term lithium treatment lowers suicide risk in major affective disorder

https://doi.org/10.1136/ebm.7.2.50

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    (2001) Acta Psychiatr Scand 104, 163. Tondo L, Hennen J, Baldessarini RJ.. Lower suicide risk with long-term lithium treatment in major affective illness: a meta-analysis.. Sep;. :. –72.
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 QUESTION: In patients with a major affective disorder, is long term lithium treatment associated with a lower suicide risk?

    Data sources

    Studies were identified by searching Current Contents, Medline, PsycLIT, and PubMed from the 1960s. Pertinent publications (since 1949) were also searched, and experts were contacted.

    Study selection

    Studies were selected if they examined lithium treatment in patients with bipolar manic depressive disorder, major affective disorder (including recurrent major depression), or schizoaffective disorder, and included data for estimating suicide rates.

    Data extraction

    Data were extracted on patient diagnoses, study design, number of suicides, total number of patients at risk for suicide, at-risk exposure times, and study quality. Study quality was assessed by using a quality scoring scale (maximum score 7, which referred to the highest quality score) and expressed as a percentage of the maximum.

    Main results

    22 studies (5647 patients, 33 473 patient y …

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