Reviews current literature on lithium augmentation (LA) in patients not responding to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) giving some recommendations at the end. A significant proportion of depressive patients do not respond to a 1st antidepressive treatment independently of the class of drug used. During the last 10 yrs, there have been several cae reports published about open and controlled studies on the use of LA in patients who were non-responders to SSRIs, including citalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine and sertraline. The main underlying hypothesis is a synergistic effect between SSRIs and lithium, which both act on serotonergic neurotransmission. The available studies vary considerably in methodology. There are insufficient results available to confirm a rapid improvement, but most studies show substantial effects after 1-2 wkS, and some after 6 wks. There is as yet no more clear evidence for a pharmacokinetic inter action between lithium and SSRIs with pharmacodynamic consequences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2004 APA, all rights reserved)