ReviewChild and adolescent psychiatry and mental health2024
Cannabinoids for treating psychiatric disorders in youth: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.
Review in Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
What it found
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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
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- [Psychiatric aspects of commercially available products containing cannabidiol].Der Nervenarzt · 2026Review
- Preliminary Prospective Study of Pharmaceutical-Grade Cannabidiol for Seizure Frequency, Anxiety, and Comorbid Symptoms in Pediatric Epilepsy: Associations With Circulating Endocannabinoids and Lipid Biomarkers.Journal of child neurology · 2026Article
- [Therapeutic indications in lawsuits seeking medical Cannabis in Brazil: a cross-sectional study in light of scientific evidence].Cadernos de saude publica · 2026Article
- Randomised Controlled Trial Evidence on Medicinal Cannabis for Treatment of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders: A Scoping Review.Clinical drug investigation · 2026Article
- Biochemical Role of the Endocannabinoid System in the Pathophysiology of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Narrative Review and Future Directions.Neurochemical research · 2025Review
- Long-term use of cannabis-based medicines in two children with Tourette syndrome: a case report.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCannabinoids have been of increasing interest mainly due to their putative efficacy in a wide array of psychiatric, psychosomatic, and neurological conditions.
aimsThis systematic review aims to synthesize results from randomized placebo-controlled trials regarding the efficacy and the dosage of cannabinoids as therapeutics in psychiatric disorders in children, adolescents, and young adults.
methodsAll publications up to June 30th, 2024, were included from PubMed and Embase. Eligibility criteria in accordance with the PRISMA-guidelines was applied. RCTs providing pre- and post-treatment parameters on cannabinoid therapies for mental disorders in comparison to controls in an age range from 0 to 25 years were included. Effect sizes were calculated as Hedges' g for primary outcomes, and a multilevel random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to account for dependent outcomes from same study populations.
resultsWe identified 7603 records, of which 8 independent clinical trials (reported in 9 publications) met the pre-established eligibility criteria, comprising 474 unique participants (245 treatment, 229 control). Analysis of 13 primary outcomes (of 7 clinical trials) revealed a modest positive overall effect for symptom improvement or normalization of brain physiology (Hedges' g = 0.308, 95% CI: 0.167, 0.448). Autism spectrum disorder studies showed the most consistent evidence (g = 0.264, 95% CI: 0.107, 0.421), while other conditions showed wider confidence intervals. Age-stratified analysis showed that adult populations (mean age 23.3 years, n = 5 outcomes) demonstrated higher effect sizes (g = 0.463, SD = 0.402) compared to pediatric populations (mean age 11.8 years, n = 8 outcomes; g = 0.318, SD = 0.212). Whole plant preparations (g = 0.328, 95% CI: 0.083, 0.573) and pharmaceutical cannabinoids (g = 0.292, 95% CI: 0.069, 0.515) showed comparable effects. CBD dosages ranged from 17.5 mg to 600 mg per day, with no significant correlation between dosage and effect size (ρ = -0.014, p = 0.963). Mild to moderate side effects were reported, but no serious adverse events. Risk of bias assessment ranged from low (n = 3) to high (n = 5).
conclusionWhile meta-analysis of effect sizes for primary outcomes revealed modest positive effects, particularly for autism spectrum disorders, the current evidence remains insufficient to broadly recommend cannabinoids for treating mental disorders in youth populations. Larger, controlled studies with standardized outcomes are needed to establish definitive clinical recommendations.
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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.