Conclusions By being able to reduce acute symptoms of mania and of bipolar depression, albeit the latter with some uncertainty, and by being able to prevent the recurrence of symptoms of either pole independently of any acute response, lithium can still be considered a major mood-stabilizing drug if not the mood-stabilizing drug par excellence. This is reflected by its position in current guidelines. It naturally also plays an important role that lithium is the cheapest
mood-stabilizing drug. The potential risks of lithium should be weighed up against its benefits and the fact that serious adverse effects are most often avoidable, provided that skilled clinicians carry out the treatment taking all the necessary precautions.