Mu 2010.

Methods	Allocation: Simple randomisation. Blindness: unclear. Duration: one week wash‐out period + eight weeks intervention. Design: parallel. Setting: inpatient, China.
Participants	Diagnosis: schizophrenia (CCMD‐3), BPRS total score of 35 or more. N = 258, complete study: N=257. Age: aripiprazole group: mean = (38.12 ± 10.34) years; risperidone group: mean = (39.56 ± 10.67) years. Gender: aripiprazole group: 58 male, 71 female; risperidone group: 61 male, 66 female. History: aripiprazole group: mean = (6.92 ± 4.18) years; risperidone group: mean = (7.48 ± 4.37) years. Age at onset not reported.
Interventions	1. Aripiprazole: Dose range: 5‐30 mg/day. Mean = (22.5 ± 3.6) mg/day. N = 129. 2. Risperidone: Dose range: 1‐6 mg/day. Mean = (3.7 ± 1.7) mg/day. N = 129.
Outcomes	Global state: BPRS score decreased rate (recovery: ≥ 75%, markedly improved: 50%‐74%, improved: 25%‐49%, no effect: < 25%). Mental state: BPRS total score. Leaving the study early. Adverse effects. Unable to use ‐ BPRS and TESS subscale scores ‐ unvalidated subscales.
Notes
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Low risk	Simple randomisation.
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Not reported.
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Not reported.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Unclear if outcome was assessed blindly.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	Two cases lost in risperidone group because of lactation.
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	High risk	Data on blood and urine routine, ECG, liver function, use of benzodiazepines and other medicines were missing.
Other bias	Low risk	None obvious.