Mood stabilizer

A mood stabilizer is a psychiatric medication used to treat mood disorders characterized by intense and sustained mood shifts, such as bipolar disorder and the bipolar type of schizoaffective disorder.

Mood stabilizers are considered a cornerstone in the treatment of bipolar disorder, where they help prevent relapses into both manic and depressive episodes and maintain long-term mood stability.

They are also prescribed for the bipolar type of schizoaffective disorder, and in some cases are used as adjuncts for treatment-resistant major depressive disorder. In addition, certain mood stabilizers have been shown to reduce impulsivity and aggression in selected psychiatric and neurological conditions.

Evidence also suggests that lithium, in particular, reduces the risk of suicide in patients with mood disorders, making it a unique therapeutic option among mood stabilizers.

The term "mood stabilizer" does not describe a mechanism but an effect. More precise terminology based on pharmacology is used to further classify these agents. Drugs commonly classed as mood stabilizers include:

Anticonvulsants, also known as antiseizure medications, are agents originally developed for treating epilepsy and seizure disorders. In the 1970s, clinical trials demonstrated that certain anticonvulsants were effective in mood stabilization, subsequently, these medications were adopted in psychiatry for treating mood disorders.

This class of medication is divided into first generation and second generation agents based on the time of their development, with the second generation agents having lesser adverse effects and better tolerability compared to the first generation.

Carbamazepine