Beschrijving

This compact yet highly influential guide provides a clear and focused overview of the use of lithium in the treatment and long-term management of manic-depressive illness (now commonly called bipolar disorder). Schou draws on decades of clinical experience and research to present the pharmacological basis of lithium therapy, its prophylactic (relapse-preventing) effects, the monitoring of serum lithium levels, and the practical concerns around dosage, side-effects and patient-selection. The book treats lithium not merely as an acute treatment, but as a long-term strategy to stabilise mood, reduce recurrence of manic or depressive episodes, and improve prognosis in a serious affective disorder. Beyond the purely clinical and pharmacokinetic details, the guide emphasises patient-care issues and real-world management: how to observe signs of impending relapse, how to collaborate with patients to ensure adherence, how to handle the balance between efficacy and toxicity, and how to integrate lithium treatment within the broader context of psychiatric care (including psychosocial support and co-treatments). Schou’s writing is pragmatic and accessible, designed for psychiatrists, physicians and mental-health professionals as a practical reference rather than a purely theoretical treatise.