Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41132044›Full record

SynthesisPsychological medicine2025

Efficacy of adjunctive antidepressants in treating negative symptoms of schizophrenia: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Yuting Li, Minglan Yu, He Yang, Lu Shi, Tingting Wang, Rongfang He, Kezhi Liu, Wei Dong, Xuemei Liang, Bo Xiang

Abstract readNetwork Meta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Psychological medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
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

10 authors.

Yuting LiDepartment of Psychiatry, Fundamental and Clinical Research on Mental Disorders Key Laboratory of Luzhou, Medical Laboratory Center, Laboratory of Neurological Diseases & Brain Function, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.
Minglan YuDepartment of Psychiatry, Fundamental and Clinical Research on Mental Disorders Key Laboratory of Luzhou, Medical Laboratory Center, Laboratory of Neurological Diseases & Brain Function, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.
He YangDepartment of Psychiatry, Fundamental and Clinical Research on Mental Disorders Key Laboratory of Luzhou, Medical Laboratory Center, Laboratory of Neurological Diseases & Brain Function, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.
Lu ShiDepartment of Psychiatry, Fundamental and Clinical Research on Mental Disorders Key Laboratory of Luzhou, Medical Laboratory Center, Laboratory of Neurological Diseases & Brain Function, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.
Tingting WangDepartment of Psychiatry, Fundamental and Clinical Research on Mental Disorders Key Laboratory of Luzhou, Medical Laboratory Center, Laboratory of Neurological Diseases & Brain Function, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.
Rongfang HeDepartment of Psychiatry, Fundamental and Clinical Research on Mental Disorders Key Laboratory of Luzhou, Medical Laboratory Center, Laboratory of Neurological Diseases & Brain Function, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.
Kezhi LiuDepartment of Psychiatry, Fundamental and Clinical Research on Mental Disorders Key Laboratory of Luzhou, Medical Laboratory Center, Laboratory of Neurological Diseases & Brain Function, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.
Wei DongInstitute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.
Xuemei LiangDepartment of Psychiatry, Fundamental and Clinical Research on Mental Disorders Key Laboratory of Luzhou, Medical Laboratory Center, Laboratory of Neurological Diseases & Brain Function, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.
Bo XiangDepartment of Psychiatry, Fundamental and Clinical Research on Mental Disorders Key Laboratory of Luzhou, Medical Laboratory Center, Laboratory of Neurological Diseases & Brain Function, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe treatment response for the negative symptoms of schizophrenia is not ideal, and the efficacy of antidepressant treatment remains a matter of considerable controversy. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the efficacy of adjunctive antidepressant treatment for negative symptoms of schizophrenia under strict inclusion criteria.

methodsA systematic literature search (PubMed/Web of Science) was conducted to identify randomized, double-blind, effect-focused trials comparing adjuvant antidepressants with placebo for the treatment of negative symptoms of schizophrenia from database establishment to April 16, 2025. Negative symptoms were examined as the primary outcome. Data were extracted from published research reports, and the overall effect size was calculated using standardized mean differences (SMD).

resultsA total of 15 articles, involving 655 patients, were included in this review. Mirtazapine (

conclusionsThese findings suggest that adjunctive use of mirtazapine and duloxetine can effectively improve the negative symptoms of schizophrenia in patients who are stably receiving antipsychotic treatment. Therefore, incorporating antidepressants into future treatment plans for negative symptoms of schizophrenia is a promising strategy that warrants further exploration.

Indexed as

Antidepressive AgentsDuloxetine HydrochlorideMirtazapineSchizophreniaDrug Therapy, CombinationHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment OutcomeAntidepressive AgentsDuloxetine HydrochlorideMirtazapineantidepressive agentsantidepressivesnegative symptomsnetwork meta-analysispsychopharmacologypsychosisschizophreniasystematic reviewtreatment

Identifiers

PMID41132044
PMCPMC12558627

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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 Socratic graph.