Tardive dyskinesia: relationship with a primary affective disorder

We reviewed all Mayo Clinic case histories in which a diagnosis of tardive dyskinesia or dyskinesia might have been recorded during the years 1965 through 1973 and interviewed 18 consecutive patients in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology. Among the histories and patients, we found a high incidence of primary affective disorders. Four of the five men had a history of chronic alcohol abuse and symptoms of depression. We recommend that people who have primary affective disorders and chronic alcohol abuse with depression should be given antipsychotic medication, stimulants, or diazepam only after extremely careful consideration.