ArticlePloS one2024
Critical appraisal of evidence supporting prescription of psychedelics from clinic websites in Ontario, Canada.
Article in PloS one, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies for Psychosocial Symptoms in Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2025Pooled it
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Psychedelics, including ketamine, 3,4-Methyl enedioxy methamphetamine (MDMA), and psilocybin, have gained attention for their potential therapeutic role in mental health treatment. While recreational use is prohibited in Canada, medicinal exemptions can be granted. There are several psychedelic clinics in Ontario, Canada, promoting the use of psychedelics for a variety of medical indications. Our objective was to identify the indications for which psychedelics are being prescribed in Ontario clinics and assess the quality of evidence used to support these claims. Internet searches were conducted using Google and Bing to identify psychedelic clinics in Ontario. Inclusion criteria was as follow: clinics were physically located in Ontario, had a functioning website link, and demonstrated involvement of a licensed physician or nurse practitioner. Identified clinics were evaluated for their claims of effectiveness, the quality of evidence used to support these claims, and statements on psychedelic-related harms. The cited studies were appraised for quality using Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine Levels of Evidence, "level 5" being the lowest quality and "level 1" being the highest quality. Out of 200 search results, 10 psychedelic clinic websites met our inclusion criteria. These clinics advertised psychedelics for 47 medical conditions, most commonly for depression. Only 2 out of 10 clinics described potential risks associated with psychedelic use. There were 29 studies cited by these websites, majority coming from "level 4" evidence consisting of case-series and case-control studies. Overall, the cited evidence quality was low to moderate. Psychedelic clinics in Ontario promote a wide range of medical indications for psychedelics using primarily low to moderate "level 4" evidence. There is limited information shared on the potential adverse effects of psychedelics. Our study emphasizes the importance of using transparent and high-quality evidence by clinics and clinicians to ensure safe and effective use of psychedelics in mental health treatments.
Indexed as
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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.