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.