Anti-Suicidal Effects of Lithium, Ketamine, and Clozapine-A 10-Year Systematic Review.
Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) May 18, 2025 Przemyslaw M Waszak, Jan Opalko, Natalia Olszańska et al. 9 citations
A systematic review of 49 studies found that lithium, ketamine, and clozapine each reduce suicidality in specific psychiatric populations. Lithium shows significant anti-suicidal effects in bipolar disorder, outperforming valproate and other mood stabilizers. Ketamine rapidly reduces suicidal ideation within hours, with effects lasting up to a week, though evidence for long-term benefit and repeated dosing is inconsistent. Clozapine consistently lowers suicide risk in schizophrenia, with large cohort studies showing fewer suicide attempts and deaths compared to other antipsychotics. The review notes limitations including adherence challenges and methodological differences, calling for more robust experimental research.