The relationship between antipsychotic-induced akathisia and suicidal behaviour: a systematic review

Objective: We aim to systematically review evidence for an association between antipsychotic-induced akathisia and suicidal behaviour, in order to guide further clinical decision making in this area. Methods: Several electronic databases (Embase, Medline, Cochrane and PsychINFO) were systemically searched for articles published up to February 2021, using search terms related to akathisia, antipsychotics and suicidal behaviour. Two reviewers independently evaluated all the relevant studies using pre-determined criteria and assessed the risk of bias for each included study. The systematic review was conducted in line with PRISMA methodology and reporting. Results: Following de-duplication, screening and application of exclusion criteria, four eligible studies were identified. All of the available studies were in English and included adult patients. Nevertheless, there was significant variability regarding methodology and overall quality was deemed low due to small sample sizes. There was insufficient data to perform statistical analyses of the results. Of the four studies, two found a weak correlation between antipsychotic-related akathisia and suicidal behaviour, a finding that was not supported by the remaining two studies. Conclusion: The search yielded very few studies for inclusion. On the basis of the existing evidence, akathisia cannot be reliably linked to the presence of suicidal behaviour in patients treated with antipsychotic medication. However, proactive screening for emerging suicidal behaviour in this vulnerable patient group is advisable. Our findings highlight the pressing need for further research in this area