Comparative efficacy and tolerability of 32 oral antipsychotics for the acute treatment of adults with multi-episode…
Since antipsychotics differ more in side-effects than in how well they work, which side-effects was aripiprazole chosen to avoid in my case?
Top of the evidence hierarchy, independently funded. how we score evidence
Across 402 randomized trials with 53,463 people, all 32 antipsychotics including aripiprazole reduced schizophrenia symptoms more than placebo; drugs differed more in side-effects than in effectiveness, and aripiprazole was one of only five drugs that significantly improved quality of life versus placebo (SMD -0.49).
Worth asking
Since antipsychotics differ more in side-effects than in how well they work, which side-effects was aripiprazole chosen to avoid in my case?
What it is FDA approved for
Read off the label. Trial duration and approval year are shown only where they were recorded — never inferred.
- Schizophrenia (adults and adolescents 13-17)
- Bipolar I disorder, acute and maintenance treatment of manic and mixed episodes, monotherapy or adjunct to lithium/valproate (adults and ages 10-17)
- Adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder (adults)
- Irritability associated with autistic disorder (ages 6-17)
- Tourette's disorder (ages 6-18)
- Agitation associated with schizophrenia or bipolar mania (injection, adults)
Source
Comparative efficacy and tolerability of 32 oral antipsychotics for the acute treatment of adults with multi-episode schizophrenia: a systematic review and network meta-analysis — Huhn M, et al. (2019)
Top-tier peer-reviewed journal
Read the source: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)31135-3
DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)31135-3
How this was scored
- Study design
- Meta-analysis of randomised trials
- Funding
- Independently funded
- Published in
- Top-tier peer-reviewed journal
- Sample size
- 53,463
- Preregistered
- Yes
- Conflicts disclosed
- Yes
- Independent of proponent
- Yes
- Retracted
- No
Read the full scoring rubric, including what it can't tell you.
Published August 19, 2026.
Questions
How strong is the evidence behind this?
Resolv rates this source "gold standard". Top of the evidence hierarchy, independently funded. It scores 100 out of 100 on our published rubric. The score is calculated from recorded facts about the source — study design, funding, publication venue, sample size, preregistration — not typed in by an editor.
What is the source for this?
Comparative efficacy and tolerability of 32 oral antipsychotics for the acute treatment of adults with multi-episode schizophrenia: a systematic review and network meta-analysis — Huhn M, et al. (2019). Published in: Top-tier peer-reviewed journal. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)31135-3. The full source is linked on this page so you can read it yourself.
Who paid for this research, and does that matter?
Study design: Meta-analysis of randomised trials. Funding: Independently funded. The researchers were independent of whoever benefits from the result. Industry sponsorship is one of the most reliably measured biases in medicine, which is why funding carries real weight in the score rather than sitting in a footnote.
Is aripiprazole (Abilify), abilify FDA approved?
Yes — FDA approved for Schizophrenia (adults and adolescents 13-17), Bipolar I disorder, acute and maintenance treatment of manic and mixed episodes, monotherapy or adjunct to lithium/valproate (adults and ages 10-17), Adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder (adults), Irritability associated with autistic disorder (ages 6-17), Tourette's disorder (ages 6-18), Agitation associated with schizophrenia or bipolar mania (injection, adults). Approval is for a specific indication, not for everything the drug is prescribed for.
Is this medical advice?
This is information to bring to your prescriber, not medical advice and not a reason to change anything on your own. Nothing here is an instruction to stop or reduce a medication. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.
This is information to bring to your prescriber, not medical advice and not a reason to change anything on your own. Nothing here is an instruction to stop or reduce a medication. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.