Has the Time Come to Abandon Prophylactic Lithium Treatment? A Review for Clinicians

This review is based an relevant publications and addresses the following questions: Does lithium exert a recurrence-preventive, prophylactic action in manic-depressive illness? Has prophylactic treatment with anticonvulsants or antidepressants become preferable to lithium prophylaxis? Which drug or drugs should be first-choice prophylactic agent in bipolar and in unipolar manic-depressive ilness?