Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
J Psychiatr Res. 2013 Mar;47(3):407-11. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2012.12.002. Epub 2013 Jan 9.
There is increasing evidence from ecological studies that lithium levels in drinking water are inversely associated with suicide mortality. Previous studies of this association were criticized for using inadequate statistical methods and neglecting socioeconomic confounders. This study evaluated the association between lithium levels in the public water supply and county-based suicide rates in Texas. A state-wide sample of 3123 lithium measurements in the public water supply was examined relative to suicide rates in 226 Texas counties. Linear and Poisson regression models were adjusted for socioeconomic factors in estimating the association. Lithium levels in the public water supply were negatively associated with suicide rates in most statistical analyses. The findings provide confirmatory evidence that higher lithium levels in the public drinking water are associated with lower suicide rates. This association needs clarification through examination of possible neurobiological effects of low natural lithium doses.
越来越多的生态学研究证据表明，饮用水中的锂水平与自杀死亡率呈负相关。以前对这种关联的研究因使用不充分的统计方法和忽视社会经济混杂因素而受到批评。本研究评估了德克萨斯州公共供水系统中锂含量与县一级自杀率之间的关系。对全州范围内 3123 项公共供水锂测量值与 226 个德克萨斯州各县的自杀率进行了调查。在估计关联时，线性和泊松回归模型对社会经济因素进行了调整。在大多数统计分析中，公共供水中的锂水平与自杀率呈负相关。研究结果提供了确凿的证据，表明公共饮用水中较高的锂水平与较低的自杀率有关。这种关联需要通过检查低剂量天然锂可能产生的神经生物学效应来加以澄清。
