Lithium in Drinking Water as a Public Policy for Suicide Prevention
Relevance and Considerations
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22067041 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Pablo Araya (0000-0001-8706-2893, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile), Camila Martínez Rebolledo (0000-0001-9559-8014, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile), Camila Martínez, Jorge Barros (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 10 |
| Pages | 805774-805774 |
| Publication date | 2022-02-17 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565 |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fpubh.2022.805774 |
| PMID | 35252091 |
| OpenAlex | W4213140077 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 58 |
Although suicide is considered a major preventable cause of mortality worldwide, we do not have effective strategies to prevent it. Lithium has been consistently associated with lowering risk of suicide. This effect could occur at very low concentrations, such as trace doses of lithium in tap water. Several ecological studies and recent meta-analysis have suggested an inverse association between lithium in water and suicide in the general population, with a lack of knowledge of clinically significant side effects. This paper is aimed as a proposal to discuss the addition of lithium to drinking water to decrease the suicide rate. For this, we review the evidence available, use previous experiences, such as water fluoridation to prevent dental caries, and discuss the complexity involved in such a public policy. Considering the limited data available and the controversies contained in this proposal, we suggest that a consensus on lithium concentration in water is needed, where the suicide rates start to reduce, as happened with water fluoridation. This measure will require to develop community-controlled trials with strict monitoring of any side effects, where democratic procedures would constitute one of the most appropriate ways to validate its implementation according to the reality of each community
Environmental health · Injury prevention · Poison control · Political science · Population · Psychiatry · Public health · Scientific evidence · Suicide prevention · Suicide rates · Water fluoridation · Bipolar Disorder and Treatment · Medicine · Mental Health Treatment and Access · Nursing · Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
Measuring progress and projecting attainment on the basis of past trends of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals in 188 countries
Changes in the global burden of depression from 1990 to 2017
Twelve-Month Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Suicide Attempts in the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys
Global, regional, and national burden of suicide mortality 1990 to 2016
Estimation of the global prevalence of dementia in 2019 and forecasted prevalence in 2050
Lithium in Drinking Water and Incidence of Suicide
Lithium in Tap Water and Suicide Mortality in Japan
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,5 |
| Citation span | 2024 - 2024 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |