Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T08:24:04.717Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Impact of Lithium in South-West Scotland II. A Longitudinal Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Summary

In a longitudinal study in South-west Scotland of patients suffering mainly from affective illness, the introduction of lithium as prophylactic therapy was associated with a significant reduction in the number and length of hospital in-patient admissions, as well as in the number of courses and total number of electro-convulsive treatments. However, there was no significant reduction in the length of time patients received either antidepressants or major tranquillisers. A rating of individual patients suggested that a bare majority (52%) had improved considerably following the introduction of lithium.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 1985 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Angst, J., Baastrup, P., Grof, P., Hippius, H., Poldinger, W. & Weis, P. (1973) The course of monopolar depression and bipolar psychosis. Psychiatrica, Neurologia, Neurochirurgia, 76, 489500.Google Scholar
Angst, J., Weis, P., Grof, P., Baastrup, P. C. & Schou, M. (1970) Lithium prophylaxis in recurrent affective disorders. British Journal of Psychiatry, 116, 604614.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Coppen, A., Noguera, R., Bailey, J., Burns, B. H., Swani, M. S., Hare, E. H. et al (1971) Prophylactic lithium in affective disorders: controlled trial. Lancet, 2, 275279.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fieve, R. R., Dunner, D. L., Kumbarach, T. & Stallone, F. (1975) Lithium carbonate in affective disorders. IV A double-blind study of prophylaxis in unipolar recurrent depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 32, 15411544.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grof, P., Schou, M., Angst, J., Baastrup, P. C. & Weis, P. (1970) Methodological problems of prophylactic trials in recurrent affective disorders. British Journal of Psychiatry, 116, 599603.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCreadie, R. G. & Morrison, D. P. (1984) The impact of lithium in South-west Scotland. I Demographic and clinical findings. British Journal of Psychiatry, In press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prien, R. F. (1980) Predicting lithium responders and non-responders: illness predictions. In: Handbook of Lithium Therapy (ed. Johnson, F. N.) Lancaster: MTP Press.Google Scholar
Schou, M. (1980) The range of non-psychiatric uses of lithium. In: Handbook of Lithium Therapy (ed. Johnson, F. N.) Lancaster: MTP Press.Google Scholar
Siegel, S. (1956) Non-parametric Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences. New York: McGraw Hill.Google Scholar
Srinivasan, D. P. & Hullin, R. P. (1980) Current concepts of lithium therapy. British Journal of Hospital Medicine, 24, 466475.Google ScholarPubMed
Stallone, F., Shelle, E. & Mendelwitz, J. (1973) The use of lithium in affective disorders. III A double-blind study of prophylaxis in bipolar illness. American Journal of Psychiatry, 130, 10061010.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.