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 .
Continuation drug therapy for major depressive episodes: how long should it be maintained?
A major problem for the practitioner is the lack of satisfactory guidelines as to how long continuation drug treatment of depressive episodes must be maintained to ensure that the episode is over . This often leads to either premature withdrawal of the drug and subsequent relapse or unnecessarily prolonged treatment . Results from a collaborative project of the National Institute of Mental Health provide the first study -derived guidelines on the length of continuation therapy .  Findings indicate that withdrawal of such therapy is safe only after the patient has been free of significant symptoms for 16 to 20 weeks and that focusing on mild as well as severe symptoms is critical in this decision
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 .