psyche
Antipsychotic Adjunct Effect
An antipsychotic adjunct effect describes a substance-related change relevant to antipsychotic action. It can refer to a possible reduction in psychosis-related symptoms or, conversely, the emergence of experiences such as paranoid thinking or delusions.
A focused entry on the Antipsychotic Adjunct Effect.
These are research findings, not promises. Most options have little evidence, and results differ from person to person.
What may help
What studies found for each option, best evidence first.
5 options:2 some evidence3 not enough evidence
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)practiceSome evidence it helpsSize of effect: Not known
Some human studies found a benefit. More research could change this.
All 4 studies with a clear result found a benefit. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials.
Open the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) pageTai ChipracticeSome evidence it helpsSize of effect: Not known
Some human studies found a benefit. More research could change this.
All 2 studies with a clear result found a benefit. Strongest study: a pooled analysis of several trials.
Open the Tai Chi pageMindfulness MeditationpracticeNot enough evidence
Too few or too small studies to know if it works.
The one study found a benefit. Strongest study: a systematic review of studies.
A review covering 11 participants reported that AHs decreased 1 week after neurofeedback, then returned to baseline after more than 12 weeks.
Open the Mindfulness Meditation pageDancepracticeNot enough evidence
Too few or too small studies to know if it works.
1 of 2 studies found a benefit; 1 found none. Strongest study: a narrative review.
Open the Dance pageCardiopracticeNot enough evidence
Too few or too small studies to know if it works.
The one study found a benefit. Strongest study: a narrative review.
In schizophrenia, a review reports that aerobic exercise was associated with reductions in both positive and negative symptoms, and describes two meta-analyses in which it outperformed treatment as usual or occupational therapy.
Open the Cardio page
Comparing practices
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Some evidence it helps3 trials
- Tai ChiSome evidence it helps2 trials
The expert view shows every study, dose protocol and source.
What may help
Linked to improving it5 listedStart here
Most likely to help, from the evidence we have
- →PracticesAcceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)CertaintyMediumSourceRCT4 other sources
A pooled analysis whose designs were not recorded found an effect of group ACT on symptoms among 45 people (standard mean difference [SMD] = -0.91, 95%CI -1.50 to -0.31). A separate review reported differences in total symptoms at post-test and follow-up among 53 people, with effects reported for positive, negative, and general symptoms.
Who was studied
- People with a condition
Open Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Study result
a medium to large effect size for group ACT was observed (standard mean difference [SMD] = -0.91, 95%CI -1.50 to -0.31)
- →PracticesTai ChiCertaintyMediumSourceRCT2 other sources
A pooled analysis of randomized trials found lower SANS symptom scores with Tai Chi than with control therapy (SMD = −9.45, 95% CI [−18.06, −0.85]) in 2026; lower scores indicate improvement. These findings concern Tai Chi as an adjunct in studies of Schizophrenia.
Who was studied
- People with a condition
- Schizophrenia
Open Tai ChiStudy result
Tai chi therapy (SMD = −9.45, 95% CI [−18.06, −0.85], P = .031) showed notable advantages over CT therapy on SANS scores. SANS is a symptom scale where a decrease is an improvement.
Low probability(3)
- →PracticesMindfulness MeditationCertaintyLowSourceClinical1 other source
A review covering 11 participants reported that AHs decreased 1 week after neurofeedback, then returned to baseline after more than 12 weeks.
Who was studied
- People with a condition
Open Mindfulness MeditationStudy result
AHs decreased 1-wk after, returning to baseline after >12-wks. AHs were not affected by control neurofeedback task
- →PracticesDanceCertaintyLowSourceReviewSmall effectconflicting findings2 other sources
A narrative review described promising results for Dance/Movement Therapy in reducing psychological discomfort and positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Studies disagree: a pooled analysis whose designs were not recorded found no significant improvement in psychotic symptom scores among menopausal women compared with the control group (SMD = −0.30, 95% CI [−0.92, 0.31]; I² = 89%, p = 0.33).
How big is the effect
Small effectA small but noticeable difference on average.
Who was studied
- People with a condition
Open DanceStudy result
showed promising results in the diminishment of psychological discomfort and positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, as measured by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and DMT may be an effective treatment option for reduction of positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia
- →PracticesCardioCertaintyLowSourceReview1 other source
In schizophrenia, a review reports that aerobic exercise was associated with reductions in both positive and negative symptoms, and describes two meta-analyses in which it outperformed treatment as usual or occupational therapy.
Who was studied
- People with a condition
- Schizophrenia
Open CardioStudy result
AE has been associated with a reduction in both positive symptoms... and negative symptoms... two meta-analyses showing that AE was consistently superior to the provision of treatment as usual or occupational therapy.
Practices compared
Practices with at least one trial of their own for this goal. Ranked by how sure the evidence is, then effect size.| Practice | How sure | Effect size | Own trials | What worked in trials |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) | CertaintyMediumSourceRCT | 3 trials or pooled analyses | ||
| Tai Chi | CertaintyMediumSourceRCT | 2 trials or pooled analyses | 10–20 weeks | |
| Mindfulness Meditation | CertaintyLowSourceClinical | 1 trial or pooled analysis |
What worked in trials: From the smallest to the typical amount in the trials that found this benefit. Not the most anyone did, not a target and not a limit.
How to read the evidence
Evidence tier — overall strength of the evidence for the whole compound
- StrongWell established — backed by strong, consistent human research.
- ModerateSome genuine support, but mostly from small or lower-quality studies. Promising, not proven.
- PreliminaryEarly-stage evidence — a promising hypothesis, not an established effect yet.
- LimitedVery limited evidence — treat this as a hypothesis, not proof.
- InsufficientNot enough good evidence to draw conclusions yet.
Certainty — how sure we can be that the effect is real
- Very highVery sure — strong, consistent evidence
- HighFairly sure — consistent evidence from good studies
- MediumModerately sure — new studies could change this
- LowNot sure — little or mixed evidence
- Very lowVery unsure — almost no usable evidence
Source — where the data comes from
- Meta-analysisPooled analysis of many trials — the strongest evidence
- RCTRandomized controlled trial — a strong human study design
- ClinicalA human clinical study
- Reference knowledgeFrom general health-science or pharmacology references, not a study of this exact claim
- Animal researchStudied in animals, not humans
- Community reportsAggregated user reports — anecdotal signal, not evidence
- TheoreticalMechanism-based reasoning, not yet tested
Study grade — quality of each underlying study (A best, D weakest)
- AHigh-quality — strong, consistent human trials
- BGood — solid evidence with some limitations
- CModerate — limited, small, or mixed-quality studies
- DWeak — preliminary, indirect, or animal-only
Confidence — how strongly the sources back a finding
A 0–100 score from study quality and agreement
Most supplement evidence is graded C–D. Read it as preliminary signal, not proof.
Full write-up
What is it
An antipsychotic adjunct effect describes a substance-related change relevant to antipsychotic action. It can refer to a possible reduction in psychosis-related symptoms or, conversely, the emergence of experiences such as paranoid thinking or delusions. This category describes an observed effect or proposed action; it is not itself a diagnosis.
How interventions help
Interventions associated with this outcome do not work in the same direction. CBD (Cannabidiol) is described as having antipsychotic properties, particularly in schizophrenia. The proposed basis is modulation of the endocannabinoid system and other neurotransmitter pathways, suggesting that its potential effects may involve several signaling systems rather than a single pathway.
St. John's Wort presents a contrasting pattern: during ongoing use, one reported case involved the development of disorganized speech, paranoid thinking, delusions of influence, somatoform preoccupations, and Capgras delusion. This type of report can identify a possible safety signal, but it cannot establish that the same response will occur broadly or determine how the outcome changes over time.
Taken together, these findings should not be read as showing that all interventions have a predictable or interchangeable effect on antipsychotic outcomes. The evidence applies to specific intervention contexts, and the available information does not establish a common onset, required duration, or persistence after stopping for either intervention.
Choosing guidance
These options should not be treated as interchangeable. St. John's Wort is represented by a single case involving the development of psychotic symptoms during ongoing use, so it may be most relevant as a safety signal rather than as a basis for choosing an adjunctive treatment. The report does not establish how commonly this occurs or whether the same pattern applies across people.
CBD (Cannabidiol) is described as having antipsychotic properties in clinical trials, particularly in schizophrenia, but it is not identified here as having human evidence. That makes its relevance harder to judge for a specific person or condition, even though the proposed activity is broader than the single case associated with St. John's Wort.
No clear duration of use or speed of effect can be inferred for either option. The health status of the people represented is also not specified, so neither option can be confidently matched to a particular diagnosis or clinical situation. Readers comparing them should therefore pay attention to whether the evidence reflects direct human treatment experience, a pharmacology reference, or an isolated report, and avoid assuming that findings for one context apply to another.