SynthesisJournal of psychiatric research2023
The efficacy and safety of buprenorphine for the treatment of depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Journal of psychiatric research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04446468 (Prevention of Suicide in Veterans Through Brief Intervention and Contact), which is not on this map. Cited by 7 papers.
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.
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.
Prevention of Suicide in Veterans Through Brief Intervention and Contact (VA-BIC)
Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.
- Depression in Opioid Use Disorder: A Tripartite Psychopathological Model for Dual Disorders.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Samidorphan sadness: does the addition of samidorphan to olanzapine have prodepressive effects?International clinical psychopharmacology · 2026Article
- Review
- Buprenorphine Pharmacodynamics: A Bridge to Understanding Buprenorphine Clinical Benefits.Drugs · 2025Review
- New and emerging pharmacologic treatments for MDD.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Review
- A Bibliometric Analysis of the WoSCC Literature on the Use of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors as Antidepressants.Drug design, development and therapy · 2024Article
- Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD): Is the Opioid System Involved?International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundDepressive disorders are common. Many patients with major depression do not achieve remission with available treatments. Buprenorphine has been raised as a potential treatment for depression as well as suicidal behavior but may pose certain risks.
methodsA meta-analysis comparing the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of buprenorphine (or combinations such as buprenorphine/samidorphan) versus control in improving symptoms in patients with depression. Medline, Cochrane Database, PsycINFO, Excerpta Medica Database and The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature were searched from inception through January 2, 2022. Depressive symptoms were pooled using Hedge's g with 95% Confidence Intervals (CI). Tolerability, safety, suicide outcomes were summarized qualitatively.
results11 studies (N = 1699) met inclusion criteria. Buprenorphine had a small effect on depressive symptoms (Hedges' g 0.17, 95%CI: 0.05-0.29). Results were driven by six trials of buprenorphine/samidorphan (N = 1,343, Hedges's g 0.17, 95%CI: 0.04-0.29). One study reported significant improvement in suicidal thoughts (Least Squares Mean Change: -7.1, 95%CI: -12.0 - 2.3). Most studies found buprenorphine was well-tolerated with no evidence of abuse behavior or dependency.
conclusionsBuprenorphine may have a small benefit for depressive symptoms. Future research should clarify the dose response relationship between buprenorphine and depression.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.