[Recommendations for the treatment of mixed episodes in current guidelines]

A literature search on the pharmacological treatment of acute bipolar mixed episodes in current guidelines shows that only seven of them address the acute management of mixed episodes as a separate condition, whereas the vast majority of these guidelines include the treatment of mixed episodes in the chapter of mania. As a general rule, most guidelines advise to stop antidepressant treatment and mention the superiority of valproate over lithium. Specific recommendations for the treatment of "mixed states" can be found in two guidelines, while specific recommendations for that of "mixed mania" are present in five of them. Recommendations for the treatment of "mixed depression" exist in only three guidelines. If some consensus may be found for the treatment of "mixed states" as a whole, recommendations for the treatment of "mixed mania" appear to be variable, whereas those for the treatment of "mixed depression" seem to be limited.