There were no other statistically significant differences between lithium and antidepressants according to all other outcomes considered .
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS There was adequate efficacy evidence for lithium or antidepressants preventing relapse in unipolar affective disorder , however their relative efficacy was unknown .
BACKGROUND The main rationale for the use of lithium in the long-term treatment of unipolar affective disorder is its efficacy in treating bipolar affective disorder and resistant depression .
However , there is considerable uncertainty about which pharmacological intervention is most effective in the long-term treatment of recurrent unipolar affective disorder .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of lithium versus antidepressants for the long-term treatment of recurrent affective disorder .
Prophylactic lithium: a double-blind trial in recurrent affective disorders.
The criteria required for the inclusion of patients into the group studied are described . The 29 patients suffered from recurrent affective disorders . No patient satisfying the criteria for selection was excluded . Reasons why 11 of the 29 patients could not be included in the double-blind trial are given . The double-blind trial was performed on the remaining 18 patients . The significance of the difference between the lengths of remissions achieved by the lithium group and the dummy group was measured by the Mann-Whitney U-test . The superiority of lithium over the dummy just failed to be significant at the 5 per cent level , 0.10>p>0.05 . One case of serious toxicity occurred . The patient recovered rapidly and completely . The design and result of the trial is discussed
There were no other statistically significant differences between lithium and antidepressants according to all other outcomes considered .
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS There was adequate efficacy evidence for lithium or antidepressants preventing relapse in unipolar affective disorder , however their relative efficacy was unknown .
BACKGROUND The main rationale for the use of lithium in the long-term treatment of unipolar affective disorder is its efficacy in treating bipolar affective disorder and resistant depression .
However , there is considerable uncertainty about which pharmacological intervention is most effective in the long-term treatment of recurrent unipolar affective disorder .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of lithium versus antidepressants for the long-term treatment of recurrent affective disorder .