Werner Felber

Adjunctive lithium treatment in the prevention of suicidal behaviour in depressive disorders: a randomised, placebo-controlled, 1-year trial

Objective:  Evidence based on controlled studies is still limited for treatment strategies that prevent recurrence of suicide attempts. Findings from observational as well as meta‐analytic studies strongly suggest that lithium may have suicide‐protective properties.

The Impact of Lithium Long-Term Medication on Suicidal Behavior and Mortality of Bipolar Patients

ABSTRACT The article reviews the existing evidence and the concept of the anti-suicidal effect of lithium long-term treatment in bipolar patients. The core studies supporting the concept of a suicide preventive effect of lithium in bipolar patients come from the international research group IGSLI, from Sweden, Italy, and recently also from the U.S. Patients on lithium possess an eight- time lower suicide risk than those off lithium. The anti-suicidal effect is not necessarily coupled to lithiums episode suppressing efficacy. The great number of lives potentially saved by lithium adds to the remarkable benefits of lithium in economical terms. The evidence that lithium can effectively reduce suicide risk has been integrated into modern algorithms in order to select the optimal maintenance therapy for an individual patient.

Suizidprophylaktische Wirkung von Lithium

Treatment of patients with suicidal behaviour is one of the most challenging tasks for health care professionals. Due to the high mortality, morbidity and costs related to suicide, the development of treatment and preventive strategies for suicidal behaviour have been a focus of psychiatric research. For lithium, one of the oldest pharmacological agents used in psychiatry, anti-suicidal effects have been found since the early 90s in many international studies. Despite this unambiguous evidence and corresponding recommendations in national and international guidelines for the acute and maintenance therapy of affective disorders, the use of lithium is still underrepresented. The following article provides a review of studies investigating the anti-suicidal effects of lithium in affective disorders. Clinical implications for the treatment of affective disorders are discussed.ZusammenfassungDie Behandlung suizidaler Patienten gehört zu den anspruchvollsten Herausforderungen für alle Professionen im Gesundheitswesen. Aufgrund der enormen gesundheitspolitischen Bedeutung ist die Therapie suizidalen Verhaltens in den letzten Jahren mehr und mehr in den Mittelpunkt psychiatrischer Forschung gerückt und nimmt einen größeren Stellenwert in der Erarbeitung von Behandlungs- und Präventionsstrategien ein. Für Lithium als eine der ältesten in der Psychiatrie verwendeten psychotropen Substanzen wurde seit Anfang der 1990iger Jahre ein eigenständiger, im Vergleich zu anderen Psychopharmaka wahrscheinlich spezifischer antisuizidaler Effekt nachgewiesen. Trotz dieses Wissens und des heute ebenfalls in nationalen und internationalen Leitlinien dokumentierten Stellenwertes von Lithium in der Akut- und Erhaltungstherapie affektiver Störungen ist Lithium hinsichtlich seiner Verschreibungshäufigkeit im Vergleich zu anderen Psychopharmaka unterrepräsentiert. Der folgende Beitrag gibt eine chronologische Zusammenfassung aller wichtigen Studien, welche die antisuizidale Wirkung von Lithium untersucht haben, und diskutiert die daraus resultierenden therapeutischen Implikationen.SummaryTreatment of patients with suicidal behaviour is one of the most challenging tasks for health care professionals. Due to the high mortality, morbidity and costs related to suicide, the development of treatment and preventive strategies for suicidal behaviour have been a focus of psychiatric research. For lithium, one of the oldest pharmacological agents used in psychiatry, anti-suicidal effects have been found since the early 90s in many international studies. Despite this unambiguous evidence and corresponding recommendations in national and international guidelines for the acute and maintenance therapy of affective disorders, the use of lithium is still underrepresented. The following article provides a review of studies investigating the anti-suicidal effects of lithium in affective disorders. Clinical implications for the treatment of affective disorders are discussed.

Suicide prevention by lithium SUPLI--challenges of a multi-center prospective study.

Abstract Several studies have shown that there is a significantly increased risk of suicide related mortality in patients with a positive history of suicide attempts. The SUPLI-Study is the first prospective, randomized, double blind, placebo controlled multi-center trial focusing on the proposed suicide preventive effects of lithium in patients with suicidal behavior but not suffering from bipolar disorder or recurrent major depressive disorder. Patients with a recent history of a suicide attempt are treated with lithium versus placebo during a 12 month period. The hypothesis is that lithium treatment will lead to a 50% reduction of suicidal behavior. The protocol of the study and preliminary results are presented.

Differences in Whole Blood Serotonin Levels Based on a Typology of Parasuicide

Suicidal behavior has to be considered as a multifactorial phenomenon, which can be analyzed in a classifying-phenomenological manner. We have examined the relation of parasuicide typology to whole blood concentrations of serotonin, HVA, and tryptophan in 58 patients classified into 4 groups of parasuicide typology compared to 22 nonsuicidal depressed patients and 20 healthy subjects. Suicidal patients classified as impetuous, desperate and ambivalent types had significantly reduced whole blood 5-HT levels in comparison with the appealing type as well as nonsuicidal subjects. No differences were detected in the HVA content, but whole blood tryptophan concentrations were significantly reduced in impetuous suicidal patients and depressed patients compared to healthy subjects. This study provides evidence for reduced whole blood serotonin content based on different types of parasuicide.

Adjunctive lithium treatment in the prevention of suicidal behavior in patients with depression and comorbid personality disorders.

Abstract Objective. Patients with both major depression and personality disorders have a high risk of suicidal behavior. Lithium is meant to have anti-suicidal properties in patients with affective disorders. The anti-suicidal effect of lithium in patients with affective disorders and comorbid personality disorders has not been investigated yet. Methods. A post-hoc analysis of a subsample of patients with depression and comorbid personality disorder (PD) and a recent suicide attempt (n = 19) from the prospective, placebo-controlled lithium intervention study (N = 167), was conducted. Results. Three patients in the lithium group (n = 8) and two patients in the placebo group (n = 11) presented a suicide attempt throughout the course of the study. No differences related to suicidal behavior could be detected between the placebo group and the group with lithium intervention. Conclusions. On the basis of the small sample size, among patients with comorbid PD, lithium does not seem to have an effect on suicidal behavior in contrast to patients with affective disorders without comorbid PD.

Completed Suicides in 47 Psychiatric Hospitals in Germany - Results from the AGATE-Study

INTRODUCTION There is an ongoing debate about a possibly enhanced risk of suicidal behaviour in some psychiatric patients due to psychopharmacotherapy. Our retrospective study aimed at analyzing the psychopharmacotherapy of 133 inpatient suicides and 133 controls by a matched pair design. METHODS We analyzed all suicides (n = 133) reported in the AGATE study from 1991 to 2008. Besides evaluation of sociodemographic variables and suicide methods, we compared psychopharmacotherapy of suicides with schizophrenia (n = 59) and affective disorders (n = 59) to that of a matched control group. RESULTS Most suicides (n = 102, 76.7%) were judged not to be related to psychopharmacotherapy. In general, more psychopharmacological drugs were prescribed for suicides than for controls. Schizophrenic suicides received more low potency FGAs than their controls. More suicides with affective disorders than controls were treated with NASSAs, SNRIs, and high or low potency FGAs. In contrast to their controls, none of the suicides with affective disorders received lithium. NASSAs, SNRIs, and high or low potency FGAs predicted suicide in regression analysis for inpatients with affective disorders. DISCUSSION Differences in psychopharmacotherapy might mainly result from a recognized risk of suicide or a more severe degree of illness. However, the underrepresentation of lithium in the suicide groups is noticeable.

Suicidal Behaviour of Elderly Psychiatric Inpatients - Prevalence and Risk Factors

OBJECTIVE The study aimed at evaluating prevalence and risk factors of suicidal behaviour of elderly psychiatric inpatients based on the German psychiatric basic documentation system (DGPPN-BADO). METHODS A total of 5,356 elderly psychiatric inpatients (> 65 years) with 7,658 episodes of inpatient care in a psychiatric university hospital between 1996 and 2006 was included in the study. Besides descriptive analyses, univariate analyses and binary logistic regression analyses were performed. RESULTS Four inpatient suicides and 14 attempted suicides of twelve inpatients were recorded during the 11-year period. Three of the 4 inpatient suicides and 6 of the 12 inpatients attempting suicide during hospital stay had a diagnosis of depression. Furthermore, 280 suicides before admission were attempted by 262 patients. Regression analysis revealed life time suicide attempt, ICD-10 diagnosis F43, period of onset of present episode less than one week and ICD-10 diagnosis F32 / F33 as significant predictors of attempted suicide before admission. Suicidal thoughts without concomitant suicide attempt before admission were recorded for 389 admissions of 346 patients. According to regression analysis, risk of suicidal thoughts before admission is increased for patients with life time suicide attempt, ICD-10 diagnosis F43, ICD-10 diagnosis F32 / F33, ICD-10 diagnosis F30 / F31, greater number of hospital admissions, short cumulative length of stay and non-chronic course of disease. CONCLUSIONS Examination of risk faktors of suicidal behaviour within the framework of hospital admissions should not be restricted exclusively to period of hospital stay. Relevant risk factors can be found even before hospital stay and could be a cue for suicide prevention already in the forefront of admission.

A multicenter study about Neurobiology of Suicidal Behavior: design, development, and preliminary results.

Abstract The subproject 1.5 “Neurobiology of Suicidal Behavior” is a multicenter study assessing peripheral parameters of the serotonergic, noradrenergic, and dopaminergic transmitter systems. Additionally, stress hormones and the lipid system as well as inhibitory and excitatory amino acids will be investigated. The different parameters are collected in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF), blood, and saliva. Patients with a depressive spectrum disorder with and without a suicide attempt (during the last three weeks) and being medication free for two weeks are included in the study. So far, 103 patients and controls have been recruited. The design and development of this project as well as interconnections with the others subprojects are described. Preliminary results about the stress hormone system and suicidality are presented.

Is MAO-B activity in platelets associated with the occurrence of suicidality and behavioural personality traits in depressed patients?

Objective:  Low platelet monoaminoxidase B (MAO‐B) activity has been associated with various forms of impulsive behaviour and suicidality. The present study investigated the relationship between MAO‐B activity in platelets and aspects of suicidality in depressed patients and controls.