A drug used to treat acne and to prevent malaria, doxycycline, could reduce the risk adolescents developing schizophrenia.

The association was seen in a study looking at more than 50,000 adolescents who attended psychiatric services in Finland.

The authors have called it a "tentative but exciting possibility" – but caution more research is needed.

Guest/s

• Professor Ian Kelleher, child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Edinburgh

References

• Doxycycline Use in Adolescent Psychiatric Patients and Risk of Schizophrenia: An Emulated Target Trial