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Social Support and Long-Term Lithium Outcome

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Ralph A. O'Connell ,
Julia A. Mayo ,
Leonard K. Eng ,
J. Sidney Jones  and
Richard H. Gabel
Ralph A. O'Connell*
Affiliation:
St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center, New York Medical College, 144 West 12th St., New York NY, 10011, USA
Julia A. Mayo
Affiliation:
Clinical Studies and Evaluation, St. Vincent's, New York Medical College
Leonard K. Eng
Affiliation:
St. Vincent's
J. Sidney Jones
Affiliation:
St. Vincent's
Richard H. Gabel
Affiliation:
In-patient Service, St. Vincent's, New York Medical College
*
∗Correspondence
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Summary

The failure rate in long-term lithium treatment of bipolar affective disorder is in the range of 20 to 30%, even with rigorous diagnostic criteria and adequate serum lithium levels. This may be due to a variety of biologic and psychosocial factors. Psychosocial factors affecting treatment outcome were studied in 60 RDC diagnosed bipolar patients treated with lithium for one year. Outcome was measured using an affective episode score, a social adjustment scale and a global assessment scale. Social support was the factor most strongly correlated with a good outcome on all three measures.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 147 , Issue 3 , September 1985 , pp. 272 - 275
Copyright
Copyright © 1985 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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