Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34812901›Full record

SynthesisPsychopharmacology2022

Psychedelics for the treatment of depression, anxiety, and existential distress in patients with a terminal illness: a systematic review.

Nina Schimmers, Joost J Breeksema, Sanne Y Smith-Apeldoorn, Jolien Veraart, Wim van den Brink, Robert A Schoevers

Erratum issuedOpen access · greenAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Psychopharmacology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 51 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
51citing papers in PubMed, 9 pooled it
14.7field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

51 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 147 citations in OpenAlex.

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  6. Side-effects of mdma-assisted psychotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2024
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Nina SchimmersDepartment of Psychiatry, University Medical Center, 9713 GZ, Hanzeplein 1 GroningenGroningen, Netherlands. n.schimmers@umcg.nl.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7534-5845
Joost J BreeksemaDepartment of Psychiatry, University Medical Center, 9713 GZ, Hanzeplein 1 GroningenGroningen, Netherlands.
Sanne Y Smith-ApeldoornDepartment of Psychiatry, University Medical Center, 9713 GZ, Hanzeplein 1 GroningenGroningen, Netherlands.
Jolien VeraartDepartment of Psychiatry, University Medical Center, 9713 GZ, Hanzeplein 1 GroningenGroningen, Netherlands.
Wim van den BrinkDepartment of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Robert A SchoeversDepartment of Psychiatry, University Medical Center, 9713 GZ, Hanzeplein 1 GroningenGroningen, Netherlands.
University Medical Center Groningen · NLUniversity of Amsterdam · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTerminally ill patients may experience existential distress, depression, or anxiety, limiting quality of life in the final stage. Existing psychotherapeutic or pharmacological interventions have (time) limited efficacy. Psychedelic treatment may be a safe and effective alternative treatment option.

aimSystematically review studies on psychedelic treatment with and without psychotherapy for existential distress, depression, and anxiety in terminally ill patients.

methodsMedline, PsycINFO, and Embase were searched for original-data studies on the treatment of depression, anxiety, and existential distress with classical or a-typical psychedelics in patients with a terminal illness, using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

resultsA total of 1850 records were screened, and 33 articles were included in this review: 14 studies on classical psychedelics (DPT, LSD, and psilocybin) and 19 studies on atypical psychedelics (MDMA and ketamine). Results of early pre-post studies are promising but have serious methodological flaws. Recent (controlled) trials with LSD, psilocybin, ketamine, and MDMA are of higher methodological quality and indicate positive effects on existential and spiritual well-being, quality of life, acceptance, and reduction of anxiety and depression with few adverse and no serious adverse effects.

conclusionsBoth classical and a-typical psychedelics are promising treatment options in patients with terminal illness. To draw final conclusions on effectiveness and safety of psychedelics, we need larger high-quality studies for classical psychedelics and MDMA. Ketamine studies should pay more attention to existential dimensions of well-being and the psychotherapeutic context of the treatment.

Indexed as

HallucinogensAnxietyDepressionHumansPsilocybinQuality of LifeHallucinogensPsilocybinAnxietyDepressionExistential distressLife-threatening diseasePsychedelics

Identifiers

PMID34812901
OpenAlexW3216164364

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.