MORTALITY DURING INITIAL AND DURING LATER LITHIUM TREATMENT - A COLLABORATIVE STUDY BY THE AL-GROUP-FOR-THE-STUDY-OF-LITHIUM-TREATED-PATIENTS

We have previously shown that the mortality of patients with recurrent affective disorders in long-term lithium treatment is not higher than that of the general population. In the present study on 471 patients from Denmark and Germany, we examined mortality during the initial yea r of lithium treatment and during later lithium treatment. During init ial lithium treatment, the total mortality was twice as high as in the general population (difference not significant) and the mortality due to suicide 16 times higher. During later lithium treatment, the morta lity rates did not differ from those in the general population. Our re sults indicate that patients with frequent, often severe recurrences, those chosen for prophylactic lithium treatment, are at risk of high m ortality, which then diminishes as the prophylactic action of the trea tment takes effect.