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Association between naturally occurring lithium in drinking water and suicide rates: systematic review and meta-analysis of ecological studies.

Anjum MemonImogen RogersSophie M D D FitzsimmonsBen CarterRebecca StrawbridgeDiego Hidalgo-MazzeiAllan H Young
Published in: The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science (2021)
This synthesis of ecological studies, which are subject to the ecological fallacy/bias, supports the hypothesis that there is a protective (or inverse) association between lithium intakes from public drinking water and suicide mortality at the population level. Naturally occurring lithium in drinking water may have the potential to reduce the risk of suicide and may possibly help in mood stabilisation, particularly in populations with relatively high suicide rates and geographical areas with a greater range of lithium concentration in the drinking water. All the available evidence suggests that randomised community trials of lithium supplementation of the water supply might be a means of testing the hypothesis, particularly in communities (or settings) with demonstrated high prevalence of mental health conditions, violent criminal behaviour, chronic substance misuse and risk of suicide.
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