ReviewThe international journal of neuropsychopharmacology2022
Guidelines for Discontinuation of Antipsychotics in Patients Who Recover From First-Episode Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: Derived From the Aggregated Opinions of Asian Network of Early Psychosis Experts and Literature Review.
Review in The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- The effects of antipsychotic discontinuation or maintenance on the process of recovery in remitted first-episode psychosis patients - A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2024Pooled it
- [Reduction and discontinuation of antipsychotic drugs in outpatient practice: perspectives of psychiatrists].Der Nervenarzt · 2026Article
- A Scoping Review of Methods, Guidelines, and Protocols Used for Dose Reduction or Discontinuation of Antipsychotic Medication in People Affected by Psychotic Disorders.Schizophrenia bulletin · 2026Article
- Development of a patient decision aid prototype on the decision to continue, reduce or discontinue antipsychotic medication following remission of first-episode psychosis.BJPsych open · 2026Article
- Emerging Neurobiological and Therapeutic Insights into Schizophrenia: A Comprehensive Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Article
- Predictors of relapse after discontinuing antipsychotics in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.Schizophrenia (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2025Article
- Network biomarkers in recovered psychosis patients who discontinued antipsychotics.Molecular psychiatry · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
1 author.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveAntipsychotic discontinuation has been a long-standing clinical and medicolegal issue. The Asian Network of Early Psychosis developed guidelines for antipsychotic discontinuation in patients who recover from first-episode non-affective psychosis. We reviewed the existing studies and guidelines on antipsychotic discontinuation to develop guidelines for antipsychotic discontinuation in such patients.
methodsWe reviewed the relevant studies, reviews, guidelines, and ongoing trials related to antipsychotic discontinuation in patients with first-episode psychosis or schizophrenia. The quality of randomized controlled trials was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach.
resultsMost studies had low to very low quality, and 2 had moderate quality. All studies, except 1, advised against antipsychotic discontinuation because of higher relapse rates in the antipsychotic discontinuation group (19%-82% at 1-year follow-up) than the treatment maintenance group compared with the maintenance group. Based on expert opinion and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation evidence of trials, guidelines have been recommended for future discontinuation studies on patients with first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
conclusionsCurrently, there are no recommendations for antipsychotic discontinuation in patients with first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorders. However, there is a pressing need to conduct more rigorous research in remitted patients using more stringent criteria of full recovery, which can form the basis of guidelines on when and how antipsychotics should be tapered and discontinued. Studies that evaluate the patient characteristics and biomarkers that predict successful antipsychotic discontinuation are also needed.
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