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The anti-suicidal benefit of lithium on suicidal behavior in bipolar disorder is well-established. Data are mixed on the effects of divalproex and carbamazepine.Retrospective chart review study of 405 veterans with bipolar disorder followed for a mean of 3 years, with month by month review of clinical progress notes, and systematic assessment of current pharmacotherapy and suicide completion, attempt or hospitalization for suicidality. Comparison of suicide event rates (events/100 patient years) between mood stabilizers and during-vs-after discontinuation of mood stabilizers, with linear regression analysis for influence of potential confounding variables, and robust bootstrap confirmation analysis.No completed suicides occurred during or after discontinuation of monotherapy. Rates of non-lethal suicidal behavior were similar during lithium (2.49), divalproex (4.67) and carbamazepine (3.80) monotherapies. There was a sixteen fold greater, highly statistically significant non-lethal suicidal event rate after discontinuation compared with during mood stabilizer monotherapy (55.89 vs. 3.48 events/100 patient years; Chi2=13.95; df=1; p0.0002). On compared with off treatment differences were similar for the three different agents.Treatments were uncontrolled in this naturalistic setting, and data were analyzed retrospectively.Lithium and the anticonvulsants may show similar benefits in protecting bipolar patients from non-lethal suicidal behavior when careful analysis of clinical data is done to confirm medication adherence/non-adherence. Findings in this study were similar to those of a previous study that applied the same methodology in a private practice setting.

Antidepressant-induced mania and cycle acceleration is a potential risk in bipolar patients. Another serious risk of antidepressants, that of increasing suicidal behavior, has been identified in some affectively ill populations. However, there is a dearth of knowledge about the effects of antidepressants on suicidal behavior specifically in bipolar patients. Methods Retrospective chart review of 405 veterans with bipolar disorder followed for a mean of three years, with month by month systematic assessment of current pharmacotherapy and suicide completion, attempt or hospitalization for suicidality. Chi-squared comparison of (log) rates of suicidal events during mood stabilizer monotherapy, antidepressant monotherapy, and combination of mood stabilizer and antidepressant. Results Suicidal behavior event rates (per 100 patient years) were greatest during treatment with antidepressant monotherapy (25.92), least during mood stabilizer monotherapy (3.48), and intermediate during mood stabilizer + antidepressant combination treatment (9.75). These differences were statistically significant. Limitations In a clinical setting, antidepressants may have been prescribed because patients were deemed at greater risk of suicidality. Conclusions During treatment with antidepressants (even when coupled with mood stabilizers), patients with bipolar disorder have significantly higher rates of non-lethal suicidal behavior compared to those on mood stabilizers without antidepressants, and thus require careful monitoring.

Background Non-suppression on the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) in unipolar depression has been found to be associated with completed suicide, with less consistent data for attempted suicide and hospitalizations for suicidality. The purpose of this study was to examine DST non-suppression as a predictor of these three aspects of suicidal behavior. Methods Records were reviewed for 101 patients who met criteria for major depressive disorder and/or dysthymic disorder and had a DST performed. All patients were treated naturalistically and were followed for an average of 2 years. DST suppressors and non-suppressors were compared with respect to three outcomes: (1) completed suicide; (2) attempted suicide; and (3) hospitalizations for suicidality. Results DST non-suppressors were significantly more likely to have completed suicide or be hospitalized for suicidality than DST suppressors, with a non-significant trend for attempts. Total suicidal events were also significantly more frequent in the non-suppressor group. Limitations Axis II diagnoses and severity of illness were not assessed. Knowledge of DST results may have influenced the decision to hospitalize patients. Conclusions DST non-suppression identifies unipolar depressed patients with a higher risk for future suicide completion or hospitalization for suicidality. Performance of DST upon initiation of treatment may be a useful adjunct in identifying suicidal risk.

Background: Lithium has been found to be effective in reducing suicide rates during long term treatment of patients with bipolar disorders. Data on the efficacy of anticonvulsant mood stabilizers in reducing suicide risk are sparse. Method: Charts of 140 bipolar patients treated continuously for a minimum of 6 months during a 23-year period of private practice by the senior author were extracted from nearly 4000 patient records. Data extracted from the charts were incidence of completed suicide, number of suicide attempts, and number of hospitalizations for suicidal ideation or behavior per 100 patient-years of either ‘on’ or ‘off’ lithium or anticonvulsant mood stabilizer monotherapy. Results: Only one completed suicide (during a period off of lithium) occurred in the patients studied. Incidence of non-lethal suicidal behavior was not different during treatment with lithium, compared with anticonvulsants. Being on a mood stabilizer significantly protected against suicidal behavior. The relative protective effect was more modest than in reports from other treatment settings. Limitations: This was a retrospective chart review study of naturalistically treated patients. Conclusions: Treatment of patients with bipolar disorder with either lithium or anticonvulsant mood stabilizers was associated with reduced risk of suicidal behavior. This study did not find evidence for a difference in the protective effect of the two types of mood stabilizing medications against non-lethal suicidal behavior in the naturalistic setting of private practice.

Background: Previous research has identified a high rate of anxiety disorders comorbidity in patients with a primary mood disorder diagnosis. Discrepancies between studies in the comorbidity prevalence of specific anxiety disorders in mood disorders, and of anxiety disorders comorbidity between unipolar depression and bipolar mood disorder are in part due to differences in sampling and diagnostic assessment methodology. Method: The authors reviewed the charts of 138 patients who received the SCID-P for DSM-III on enrollment in a Mood Disorders Clinic during the period 1982 through 1988. The comorbidity of specific DSM-III Anxiety Disorders with specific mood disorders was determined and comparatively examined using non-parametric statistics. Results: There was high overall comorbidity of anxiety disorders that did not differ between bipolar and unipolar subjects. There were no differences in the comorbidity of individual anxiety disorder diagnoses in the unipolar vs. bipolar groups. However, in unipolar patients with, compared to those without an additional diagnosis of dysthymia, there was greater overall anxiety disorders comorbidity, with a particularly high prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder. Limitations: The subgroup of patients with bipolar I disorder was relatively small (N=8). Conclusion: Mood and anxiety disorders comorbidity is complex and presents a continuing challenge for both clinicians and researchers.

Objective Antipsychotics are commonly used in bipolar disorder, with newer (SGA) agents increasingly replacing FGA antipsychotics, particularly in bipolar depression. There are few data on differences between FGA and SGA antipsychotics in terms of their relationship to suicidal behavior in bipolar disorder. Method This was a retrospective chart review of 161 bipolar veterans treated naturalistically with antipsychotics at a university-affiliated VA hospital and clinics for up to 8 years. Charts were reviewed to determine monthly antipsychotic use and occurrence of suicidal behavior: completed suicide, attempted suicide or hospitalization to prevent suicide. Suicidal behavior events were compared across patients during treatment with individual antipsychotics and FGAs or SGAs as a class. Results Non-lethal suicide events were more common during FGA than SGA monotherapy (9 events/110 months of exposure vs. 6 events/381 months of exposure; χ2=9.65, p=0.002). Suicide event rates did not differ between FGAs and SGAs when used in conjunction with mood stabilizers. Event rates were lower with lithium than anticonvulsants when used in conjunction with antipsychotics. No differences were found between olanzapine, risperidone and quetiapine. Limitations The retrospective chart review methodology may have led to confounding by indication and diagnostic inaccuracy. No completed suicides occurred. Study participants were primarily male veterans. Results may not be generalizable to SGAs marketed since 2003. Conclusions FGA antipsychotic monotherapy may be associated with higher suicidal behavior risk than SGA antipsychotic monotherapy. Antipsychotics used in conjunction with mood stabilizers, particularly lithium, are associated with lower rates, independent of antipsychotic subtype.

Background: previous research has been inconclusive about the nature of hemispheric asymmetry in emotional processing. Method: 13 patients with DSM-IV bipolar disorder received repeated QEEGs over 2 years in different mood states. Z-score measures of asymmetry were assessed. Results: asymmetry in frontotemporal slow-wave activity appeared to be in opposite directions in depression compared to mania/hypomania. Conclusions: mood change in bipolar disorder is associated with change in QEEG asymmetry. Limitations: study of larger numbers of more homogenous patients under similar conditions is needed. Clinical relevance: study of mood state-dependent asymmetry changes in bipolar disorder may lead to better understanding of hemispheric processing of emotion.