Current status of lithium therapy in affective disorders.

I want to emphasize, however, that at the present time only two uses of lithium are fully established: the therapeutic use in mania, and the prophylactic use in recurrent endogenous affective disorders. All other uses are based on evidence which is not yet fully conclusive even though in some instances it is quite strong. Systematic trials are required fox further substantiation. We must keep our minds open to new developments in the field, for there is presumably still much to be learned about this deceptively simple and yet so enigmatic drug, the lithium ion.