title: The combat of non-compliance during prophylactic lithium treatment.
abstract: Non-compliance is the most frequent cause of recurrence during prophylactic lithium treatment and is associated with poor response and high levels of suicidality. Non-compliance is a complex phenomenon and may have a number of causes. When manic-depressive patients fare badly under the conditions of so-called 'naturalistic' trials, this usually indicates that such conditions are inadequate for long-term maintenance treatment. Prophylactic lithium treatment must be accompanied by measures to sustain compliance and counteract drop-out, and these measures build on three cornerstones, namely information, support and supervision.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Hospital, Risskov, Denmark.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schou
mesh_terms: D000359:Aftercare / Q000592:standards; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D008094:Lithium / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D008094:Lithium