Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38021372›Full record

ArticleEClinicalMedicine2023

Time-dependent effect of antipsychotic discontinuation and dose reduction on social functioning and subjective quality of life-a multilevel meta-analysis.

Björn Schlier, Laura Buck, Rebecca Müller, Tania M Lincoln, Antonia Bott, Matthias Pillny

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in EClinicalMedicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Helping people to discontinue antipsychotics: if, when and how.Schizophrenia (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2025
    Review
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Björn SchlierClinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Human Movement Science, Universität Hamburg, Germany.
Laura BuckClinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Human Movement Science, Universität Hamburg, Germany.
Rebecca MüllerClinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Human Movement Science, Universität Hamburg, Germany.
Tania M LincolnClinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Human Movement Science, Universität Hamburg, Germany.
Antonia BottClinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Human Movement Science, Universität Hamburg, Germany.
Matthias PillnyClinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Human Movement Science, Universität Hamburg, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Meta-analyses indicate superiority of antipsychotic maintenance treatment over discontinuation within up to 24 months after treatment initiation for patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. In terms of functional recovery, long-term trials show improved functioning after discontinuation, suggesting a time-dependent effect of antipsychotic maintenance. However, these trials were not included in previous meta-analyses. We therefore investigated whether the effect of antipsychotic maintenance treatment vs. discontinuation on social functioning and quality of life varies by trial length. Methods: The study was preregistered with PROSPERO (CRD42021248933). PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Embase and trial registers were systematically searched on 8th November 2021 and updated on 25th June, 2023 and 10th August, 2023 for studies that compared antipsychotic maintenance to discontinuation and reported data on social functioning or subjective quality of life in patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. Risk of bias was assessed with the RoB 2, the ROBINS-I and the RoB-ME tools. Quality of evidence was rated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach. Findings: We included Interpretation: Although our findings suggest a time-dependent decrease in the effect of maintenance treatment on social functioning, interpretation of these findings is limited by the serious risk of bias in middle- and long-term trials. Therefore, any conclusions regarding the long-term benefits of antipsychotic treatment or discontinuation for functional recovery are premature and more high-quality trials tailored to comparing state of the art maintenance treatment vs. discontinuation are needed. Funding: None.

Indexed as

CessationDose-reductionNeurolepticsQuality of lifeSchizophreniaSocial functioning

Identifiers

PMID38021372
PMCPMC10663674

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

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.