"Lithium non-responders" in a lithium clinic.

The present study is concerned with the outcome of long-term lithium maintenance therapy administered to 107 manic-depressive patients after more than 12 months. Nine patients failed to respond despite having met the criteria for maintenance within the therapeutic range of lithium. This group, termed "lithium non-responders", had all shown bipolar illness with gross morbidity with frequent cycles, greater than 4 per year, seven had a family history of affective illness (six bipolar). The study did not demonstarte any other clear factors common to the "non-responders" group.