. Dr. Velez is a psychiatrist with a new patient, a college student who has been diagnosed recently with bipolar I disorder. When Dr. Velez begins describing treatment options, the client mentions that he has heard that people with bipolar disorder are often treated with lithium. What considerations might Dr. Velez advise her patient to keep in mind when deciding whether lithium is a treatment he’d like to try?
What will be an ideal response?
Ans: Lithium is best seen as a mood stabilizer. It is more effective at treating manic than depressive episodes. As a patient with bipolar I, Dr. Velez’s client may not even have depressive episodes; he should consider the extent of his experience with depressed mood in his assessment of the potential utility of lithium. The client should also consider how rapidly he cycles between manic and depressed episodes; lithium is less effective in cases of rapid-cycling bipolar disorder. Finally, although lithium is in widespread use for treating bipolar disorder, its effectiveness is lower than its long-time use might suggest. The client should compare its effectiveness with that of other medications, such as anticonvulsants like valproate.
Learning Objective: 6.5 Discuss the causes and treatment of bipolar disorder.
Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Medications for Bipolar Disorder
Difficulty Level: Medium
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