Lithium treatment of depressed and nondepressed alcoholics
W. Dorus, D. G. Ostrow, R. Anton, P. Cushman, J. F. Collins, M. Schaefer, H. L. Charles, P. Desai, M. Hayashida, U. Malkerneker and al. et
Edward Hines, Jr. Hospital, Department of Veterans Affairs, Hines, III 60141.
We assessed the efficacy of lithium carbonate in the treatment of 457 male
alcoholics in a double-blind, placebo-controlled Department of Veterans
Affairs Cooperative Study. Alcoholics either without depression or with a
history of major depression, current major depression, or dysthymic
disorder were studied. Two hundred eighty-six alcoholics without depression
and 171 alcoholics with depression began the 52-week outpatient study; 172
alcoholics (60.1%) without depression and 108 alcoholics (63.2%) with
depression completed the study. Among both all alcoholics who began the
study and a subgroup who completed the study, no significant differences
between alcoholics who took lithium and those who took placebo were found
for the following outcome measures:number of alcoholics abstinent, number
of days of drinking, number of alcohol-related hospitalizations, changes in
rating of severity of alcoholism, and change in severity of depression.
Similarly, no significant differences were found when only the 82
alcoholics compliant in taking lithium and the 89 alcoholics compliant in
taking placebo were considered. In our study, lithium treatment did not
affect the course of alcoholism in either depressed or nondepressed
alcoholics.
