Researchers: “We Do Not Suggest” Antipsychotics for Depression

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several antipsychotic drugs as an augmentation strategy for “treatment-resistant depression,” including aripiprazole (Abilify), quetiapine (Seroquel), and olanzapine (Zyprexa).

But in a new study, researchers found that these drugs were no better than trying another antidepressant—and that they come with increased risk of death.

The researchers investigated whether a third trial of antidepressants or an antipsychotic was the better strategy to reduce suicide attempts and suicide death. There was no difference between the drugs on suicide-related outcomes.

“Because antipsychotic augmentation did not reduce the risk of suicide-related outcomes, we do not suggest the use of antipsychotic augmentation for those with treatment-resistant depression,” the researchers write.

However, the researchers also found that those given antipsychotics had an increased risk of death from any cause, likely due to the harmful effects of these powerful drugs.

“Possible explanations for the increased mortality risk associated with the use of antipsychotics include metabolic alterations or side-effects of antipsychotics such as extrapyramidal symptoms, falls, pneumonia, QTc prolongation and sudden cardiac arrest,” the researchers write.

The study was conducted by researchers at National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, led by Daniel Hsiang-Te Tsai and Edward Chia-Cheng Lai. It was published in The British Journal of Psychiatry.