New Episodes and Suicidal Risks in Bipolar and Major Depressive Disorder Patients During Versus Before Long‐Term Treatment With Lithium

OBJECTIVES: Lithium treatment reduces the risk of recurring episodes in bipolar disorder (BD) and probably also in major depressive disorder (MDD) and has evidence of antisuicidal effects. Study objectives were to test for effects of adding lithium treatment for one year to a year of other treatments on risks of illness recurrence, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts. METHODS: We compared 296 major mood disorder outpatients for 12 months with treatment that did not include lithium versus 12 months with lithium included. We considered differences in the recurrence of new episodes of illness, new suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, and estimated time to these outcomes with survival analyses. RESULTS: With lithium treatment included, there were marked reductions in episode recurrences (3.12-fold), suicidal ideation (4.78-fold), and suicide attempts (6.54-fold) in both BD and MDD patients, with corresponding delays to these outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Adding lithium treatment was strongly associated with reduced risk and delay of clinical recurrence, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in both BD and MDD outpatients.