Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Elisabetta Trinari, Noella Juliana Noronha, Davide Papola, Tahira Devji, Tamara Navarro, Olaf Kraus de Camargo, Alfonso Iorio

Abstract readReview

PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher

In one paragraph

Review in Clinical medicine insights. Pediatrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

7 authors.

Elisabetta TrinariDepartment of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5859-652X

Noella Juliana NoronhaDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6573-2892

Davide PapolaWHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6482-8593

Tahira DevjiDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8414-7410

Tamara NavarroDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2810-6942

Olaf Kraus de CamargoDepartment of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7927-7189

Alfonso IorioDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Effects of SSRI for symptoms of ASD and comorbid conditions are uncertain. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analyses to determine the efficacy and safety of SSRIs in children with ASD on 8 clinically relevant outcomes. Methods: We searched 7 databases to retrieve RCT of SSRIs versus placebo in children with ASD. Two authors independently extracted data, assessed risk of bias and rated the certainty of evidence using the GRADE method. Results: Seven RCTs with a total of 606 participants were included. The evidence is very uncertain on the effect of SSRIs on restricted repetitive behaviors and anxiety symptoms in children with ASD. There is low certainty of the evidence suggesting that SSRIs result in little to no effect on obsessive-compulsive symptoms and disruptive behaviors, and there is moderate certainty of the evidence that SSRIs likely result in little to no difference in global functioning and a slight increase in adverse events. No studies evaluated depressive symptoms. Conclusions: The number of studies on this population remains limited. The current body of evidence shows no benefit of the use of SSRIs in children with ASD. Risk/benefit assessment should be carefully considered on an individual basis until further evidence is made available. Protocol registration number: PROSPERO-CRD42020169836. Lay Abstract:

Indexed as

autismGRADE methodpharmacologySSRI

Identifiers

PMID42290951

DOI10.1177/11795565261442820

PMCPMC13254149

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.