Lithium reduces maternal child abuse behaviour: a preliminary report

do Prado-Lima, P. MD
Knijnik, L. MD
Juruena, M. MD
Padilla, A.

The Behaviour Neurobiology Research Group, Neuroscience Laboratory, PUC-RS and Hospital Psiquiátrico São Pedro, Porto Alegre, Brazil

Received 26 March, 2001; accepted 1 June, 2001.

Correspondence to: Dr Prado-Lima, rua Álvares Machado, 44/305, CEP 90630–010, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Tel.:/fax: +55 51 330 45 77; e-mail: [email protected]

Journal of Clinical Pharmacy & Therapeutics 26(4):p 279-282, August 2001.

Objective:

To find out in child abusing mothers whether aggressiveness in general, but which is directed towards their children in particular, could be reduced by giving lithium.

Method:

An open trial of lithium in eight child-abusing mothers. Assessment of aggression using Yudofsky’s Overt Aggression Scale.

Results:

There was a statistically significant reduction (P < 0·05) in aggressiveness to the children and to inanimate objects.

Conclusion:

Lithium could be an effective adjunct in the social and psychological treatment of parents who abuse their children. An adequately powered controlled study testing lithium against placebo over a longer period of treatment and observation would be useful.