SynthesisBMJ open2017
Pharmacological guidelines for schizophrenia: a systematic review and comparison of recommendations for the first episode.
Synthesis in BMJ open, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 56 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
56 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Clinical Practice Guideline on the Choice of First Antipsychotic Medicine for Females Experiencing a First-Episode of Psychosis.Schizophrenia bulletin · 2026Guideline
- Pooled it
- Long-acting injectable antipsychotics for early psychosis: A comprehensive systematic review.PloS one · 2022Pooled it
- Scope, quality and inclusivity of international clinical guidelines on mental health and substance abuse in relation to dual diagnosis, social and community outcomes: a systematic review.BMC psychiatry · 2021Pooled it
- Time to Clinical Response in the Treatment of Early Onset Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders Study.Journal of child and adolescent psychopharmacology · 2021Trial
- The Role of Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics in the Early Treatment of Schizophrenia.CNS drugs · 2026Review
- Protein glycoxidation in neuropsychiatric disorders-from basic research to clinical practice.Redox biology · 2026Review
- The plasma-derived exosomal Gomafu levels are associated with psychopathological symptoms and symptomatic remission in drug-naïve patients with first-episode schizophrenia.European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2026Article
- Do early intervention services for psychosis maintain their effects after transition to usual/modular care? A systematic review and meta-analysis.World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) · 2026Article
- Clinical practice guidelines for management of schizophrenia in India: A comprehensive overview.Indian journal of psychiatry · 2026Article
- Metformin for the Prevention of Antipsychotic-Induced Weight Gain: Guideline Development and Consensus Validation.Schizophrenia bulletin · 2025Article
- Article
- Management of postnatal depression: A systematic review of clinical practice guidelines.Global mental health (Cambridge, England) · 2025Review
- Prevalence of treatment-resistant schizophrenia among people with early psychosis and its clinical and demographic correlates.The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry · 2024Article
- Optical coherence tomography reveals retinal thinning in schizophrenia spectrum disorders.European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2023Article
- Changes in Quality of Life in Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia Patients Undergoing Avatar Therapy: A Content Analysis.Journal of personalized medicine · 2023Article
- Article
- Olanzapine Pharmacokinetics: A Clinical Review of Current Insights and Remaining Questions.Pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine · 2023Review
- Long-acting Injectable Antipsychotics during the COVID-19 pandemic in schizophrenia: An observational study in a real-world clinical setting.Psychiatry research · 2022Observational
- The development and validation of a medicines optimisation tool to protect the physical health of people with severe mental illness (OPTIMISE).BMC psychiatry · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesClinical practice guidelines (CPGs) support the translation of research evidence into clinical practice. Key health questions in CPGs ensure that recommendations will be applicable to the clinical context in which the guideline is used. The objectives of this study were to identify CPGs for the pharmacological treatment of first-episode schizophrenia; assess the quality of these guidelines using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) instrument; and compare recommendations in relation to the key health questions that are relevant to the pharmacological treatment of first-episode schizophrenia.
methodsA multidisciplinary group identified key health questions that are relevant to the pharmacological treatment of first-episode schizophrenia. The MEDLINE and EMBASE databases, websites of professional organisations and international guideline repositories, were searched for CPGs that met the inclusion criteria. The AGREE II instrument was applied by three raters and data were extracted from the guidelines in relation to the key health questions.
resultsIn total, 3299 records were screened. 10 guidelines met the inclusion criteria. 3 guidelines scored well across all domains. Recommendations varied in specificity. Side effect concerns, rather than comparative efficacy benefits, were a key consideration in antipsychotic choice. Antipsychotic medication is recommended for maintenance of remission following a first episode of schizophrenia but there is a paucity of evidence to guide duration of treatment. Clozapine is universally regarded as the medication of choice for treatment resistance. There is less evidence to guide care for those who do not respond to clozapine.
conclusionsAn individual's experience of using antipsychotic medication for the initial treatment of first-episode schizophrenia may have implications for future engagement, adherence and outcome. While guidelines of good quality exist to assist in medicines optimisation, the evidence base required to answer key health questions relevant to the pharmacological treatment of first-episode schizophrenia is limited.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.