Long-term outcome and mortality of treated versus untreated bipolar and depressed patients: A preliminary report

Abstract

The mortality of patients with mood disorders is elevated as a consequence not only of suicides and accidents but also of cardiovascular and other diseases — for instance, hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Long-term medication can reduce suicides by two-thirds and can probably reduce non-suicidal mortality also. This long-term study of 406 hospital admissions recruited between 1959 and 1963 and followed up until 1991 suggests that not only lithium (as reported in the literature), but also neuroleptics and antidepressants may have such beneficial effects.

Key Words:

• bipolar disorder
• mortality
• lithium
• antidepressants
• unipolar depression
• suicides
• neuroleptics
• long-term medication