Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39376971›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in psychiatry2024

Psilocybin for major depressive disorder: a systematic review of randomized controlled studies.

Li-Juan Li, Yu Mo, Zhan-Ming Shi, Xing-Bing Huang, Yu-Ping Ning, Hua-Wang Wu, Xin-Hu Yang, Wei Zheng

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in psychiatry, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

6 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Li-Juan Li *Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China.
Yu Mo *Department of Psychology, The Brain Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Liuzhou, China.
Zhan-Ming Shi *Department of Psychology, Chongqing Jiangbei Mental Health Center, Chongqing, China.
Xing-Bing HuangThe Affiliated Brain Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Yu-Ping NingThe Affiliated Brain Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Hua-Wang WuThe Affiliated Brain Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Xin-Hu YangThe Affiliated Brain Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Wei ZhengThe Affiliated Brain Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was to evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of psilocybin in adult patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods: A systematic search (up to September 14, 2023) was conducted for RCTs that examined the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of psilocybin in physically healthy adult patients with MDD. Three independent researchers extracted data from publications where the primary outcome was a change in depressive symptoms, and key secondary outcomes were changes in anxiety symptoms and suicidal ideation, discontinuation rates for any reason, and adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Results: Five RCTs with 472 adult patients with MDD on psilocybin (n = 274) and controls (n = 198) were included. Two of the five RCTs (40%) reported mixed results, while the other three (60%) found that psilocybin had a beneficial effect on MDD treatment. Four RCTs (80%) assessing the anxiolytic effects of psilocybin for treating MDD found that psilocybin was significantly more effective than the control group in improving anxiety symptoms. Psilocybin was more effective than the control group in improving suicidal ideation in one out of five RCTs. Discontinuation rates were similar for any reason between the psilocybin group (2-13%) and the control group (4-21%) (P > 0.05). Four RCTs (80%) reported ADRs in detail. The most common ADR in both groups was headache. Conclusion: Psilocybin was effective in improving depressive symptoms in over half of the included studies and reduced anxiety symptoms in patients with MDD. The long-term efficacy and safety of psilocybin for MDD treatment needs to be further investigated in large RCTs.

Indexed as

efficacymajor depressive disorderpsilocybinrandomized controlled trialsystematic review

Identifiers

PMID39376971
PMCPMC11456834

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.