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Cited by 109Schizophrenia research and treatmentBipolar Disorder and TreatmentPharmacovigilance and Adverse Drug Reactions

Comparative Mortality Risk in Adult Patients With Schizophrenia, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Participating in Psychopharmacology Clinical Trials

Khan, Arif, Faucett, James, Morrison, Shaneta, Brown, Walter A.·2013·JAMA Psychiatry
DOI 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.149
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Abstract

IMPORTANCE: There is concern that increased mortality risk among patients with psychiatric illness may be worsened by psychopharmacological agents. OBJECTIVES: To assess mortality risk among adult patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder participating in clinical trials conducted by pharmaceutical companies for US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to market and to evaluate if psychopharmacological agents worsen this risk. DATA SOURCES: The FDA Summary Basis of Approval (SBA) reports of new drug applications and supplemental applications for 28 psychopharmacological agents approved between 1990 and 2011. STUDY SELECTION: The FDA SBA reports detailing exposure data from acute placebo-controlled trials and safety extension studies including 92,542 patients from 47 adult drug approval programs for treatment of schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and SBA reports on combination and maintenance therapy programs for treatments of bipolar disorder. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: We reviewed and synthesized mortality data from SBA reports that combined mortality rates across the clinical trials, including information on patient exposure years (PEY) for active treatments and placebo for individual indications. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Overall mortality rate per 100,000 PEY in relation to the psychiatric diagnosis of the patients participating in psychopharmacology clinical trials. Also, the overall mortality rates using PEY technique among patients assigned to psychopharmacological agents or placebo were evaluated. RESULTS: Overall, mortality risk was high and significantly associated with psychiatric diagnosis (χ²₄ = 1760; P < .001). Compared with the general adult population, patients with schizophrenia had the highest mortality risk (3.8-fold increase), followed by patients with depression (3.15-fold increase) and bipolar disorder (3.0-fold increase). The mortality risk was not increased when patients were assigned to psychotropic agents rather than placebo except for heterocyclic antidepressants. Suicide accounted for 109 of all 265 deaths (41.1%). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: These data suggest that increased mortality rates reported in population studies are detectable among adult patients with psychiatric illnesses participating in psychopharmacological trials. Furthermore, 3- to 4-month exposure to modern psychotropic agents, such as atypical antipsychotic agents, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors does not worsen this risk. Given the inherent limitations of the FDA SBA reports, further research is needed to support firm conclusions.

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  • A recent meta-analysis based on FDA data from placebo-controlled studies found antipsychotic medication did not increase risk of death from diseases and medical conditions.

    “In a recent meta-analysis based on FDA data from placebo-controlled studies, the investigators found, contrary to their expectation, that antipsychotic medication did not increase the risk of death from diseases and medical conditions (Khan et al. 2013).”

    From Excess early mortality in schizophrenia. (2014) · cites this paper as Khan et al. 2013

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Authors
Khan, A., Faucett, J., Morrison, S., & Brown, W. A.
Affiliations
  • Duke University (US)
  • Northwest Clinical Research Center (US)
  • Tufts University (US)
ORCID
Venue
JAMA Psychiatry
Publisher
American Medical Association (AMA)
Published
2013-10-01
Volume
70
Issue
10
Pages
1091
ISSN
2168-622X (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.149
OpenAlex
W2051774941
Cited by
109
References
34
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 4
FWCI
9.43
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • JAMA Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Bipolar Disorder and Treatment
  • Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Toxicology › Pharmacovigilance and Adverse Drug Reactions
Keywords
mortality risk, mental illness, schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, psychotropic drugs, drug safety, suicide, atypical antipsychotics, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, heterocyclic antidepressants, clinical trial safety, maintenance therapy, combination therapy, adverse drug reactions
MeSH terms
Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Mental Disorders, Clinical Trials as Topic, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Psychotropic Drugs, Risk Factors, Suicide, United States

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