Risks of Standard Antidepressant Use in Bipolar Patients

1
Risks of Standard Antidepressant Use in Bipolar
Patients

• Induction of mania or cycle acceleration1,2
• Delayed introduction of mood stabilizers may
  worsen outcome, suicide risk3
• Debated efficacy above antidepressant effects of
  mood stabilizers4
• Possibly less efficacious in bipolar depression
  than unipolar depression
• Few standard antidepressants have been studied in
  bipolar depression

1. Wehr TA et al. Arch Gen Psychiatry.
197936555-559. 2. Altshuler LL et al. Am J
Psychiatry. 19951521130-1138. 3. Goldberg JF et
al. J Clin Psychiatry. 200263985-991. 4. Moller
HJ et al. J Affect Disord. 200167141-146.