Lithium Versus Other Mood-Stabilizing Medications in a Longitudinal Study of Youth Diagnosed With Bipolar Disorder.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Lithium is the mainstay for bipolar disorder (BD) treatment in adults, but evidence in youths is limited. We used data from the Course and Outcome of Bipolar Youth (COBY) study to assess whether lithium vs other mood-stabilizing medication (OMS) was associated with improved outcomes, including mood symptoms and suicidality.

Method

COBY is a naturalistic, longitudinal study of 413 youths, 7 to 17.11 years old at intake, with BD. At each visit, medication exposure, psychiatric symptoms, and psychosocial function over the preceding follow-up period were assessed using the Adolescent Longitudinal Interval Follow-Up Evaluation. Using mixed models, we determined whether participants taking lithium vs OMS (but not lithium) differed regarding mood symptoms, suicidality, ps

SUBMITTER: Hafeman DM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6987013 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature