Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of antipsychotics?

Antipsychotic medications are primarily used to manage symptoms of mental health disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. One of their primary functions is to stabilize mood and reduce psychotic symptoms. While these medications can indeed induce side effects—such as photosensitivity—these reactions are not the medications' intended purpose nor their defining characteristics.

The assertion that antipsychotics cause mania is not accurate. Instead, these medications are designed to mitigate symptoms associated with psychotic disorders and regulate mood instability. In fact, in some cases, antipsychotics are employed in the treatment of mania, particularly within the context of bipolar disorder. Thus, the characterization of antipsychotics as agents that cause mania does not align with their therapeutic role. This makes it clear why the answer that denotes this assertion is the correct choice.