More robust evidence for the efficacy of lithium in the long-term treatment of bipolar disorder: should lithium (again) be recommended as the single preferred first-line treatment?

With two recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the efficacy of lithium compared to placebo and other treatment options, it can now be concluded that lithium is the only drug that has been shown efficacious in the prevention of any mood episodes, manic episodes and depressive episodes in randomised trials not enriched for prior response to and tolerance of lithium. It is argued that lithium should be recommended as the single preferred first-line drug in the long-term treatment of bipolar disorder.