Description
Lithium has long stood as the gold standard treatment for bipolar disorder, with strong evidence supporting its neuroprotective effects and ability to reduce suicide and all-cause mortality. Despite its well-established benefits and guideline recommendations, it remains underutilized due to concerns about renal and endocrine side effects. This session shifts the narrative away from discontinuation and instead emphasizes how clinicians can safely and diligently continue lithium in patients, even when medical comorbidities arise. Experts in mood disorders, endocrinology, and nephrology will explore the latest evidence, offer clinical pearls, and outline best practices for managing lithium therapy in complex cases to ensure optimal patient outcomes.
Format
Recorded webinar.
This content was recorded during the APA 2024 Annual Meeting.
Learning Objectives
- Review the evidence of lithium in mood disorders.
- Present clinical pearls and examine the effects of long-term lithium therapy in mood disorders, including renal and endocrine impacts.
- Discuss how to effectively manage patients on long-term lithium therapy with renal and endocrine disorders.
Target Audience
Residents/Fellows, Psychiatrists, Psychologists
Estimate Time to Complete
Estimated Duration: 1.5 hours
Program Start Date: May 17, 2025
Program End Date: May 17, 2028
How to Earn Credit
Participants who wish to earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ may do so after completing all sections of the course including the evaluation. After evaluating the program, course participants will be provided with an opportunity to claim hours of participation and print an official CME certificate (physicians) or certificate of participation (non-physicians) showing the completion date and hours earned.
Continuing Education Credit
In support of improving patient care, the American Psychiatric Association is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
The APA designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Faculty and Planner Disclosures
The American Psychiatric Association adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CME activity — including faculty, planners, reviewers or others — are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.
Instructors
- Balwinder Singh, MD, MS, FAPA.
- Michael Gitlin, MD.
- Lourdes Gonzalez Suarez, MD, PhD.
- Vishnu Sundaresh, MD, MSCI.
Planners
- Vishal Madaan, MD, Chief of Education and Deputy Medical Director at the American Psychiatric Association.
Accessibility for Participants with Disabilities
The American Psychiatric Association is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. Please contact the American Psychiatric Association at 202-559-3900, if you require assistance seven (7) business days prior to the start of a live webinar.
Technical Requirements
This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using any of the following:
- The latest and 2nd latest public versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
- Internet Explorer 11+
This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.
Optimal System Configuration:
- Browser: Google Chrome (latest and 2nd latest version), Safari (latest and 2nd latest version), Internet Explorer 11.0+, Firefox (latest and 2nd latest version), or Microsoft Edge (latest and 2nd latest version)
- Operating System: Windows versions 8.1+, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) +, Android (latest and 2nd latest version), or iOS/iPad OS (latest and 2nd latest version)
- Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher
Minimum Requirements:
- Windows PC: Windows 8.1 or higher; 1 GB (for 32-bit)/2 GB (for 64-bit) or higher RAM; Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
- Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.5 or higher with latest updates installed; Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor; 512 MB or higher RAM; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
For assistance: Contact educme@psych.org for questions about this activity | Contact learningcenter@psych.org for technical assistance