Efficacy and Safety of LSD in the treatment of mental and substance use disorders: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.
Psychiatry research July 5, 2025 Maria Helha Fernandes-Nascimento, Priscila Weber, André Brooking Negrão 4 citations
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 11 double-blind randomized controlled trials involving 682 adults with substance use disorders, anxiety, or depression found that LSD produced a small but statistically significant reduction in substance use disorder symptoms (standardized mean difference = 0.19). No heterogeneity was observed for that outcome. However, 45% of the trials did not report adverse events, and serious adverse events were noted in only one study. The effectiveness of LSD varied by mental disorder, and most trials were conducted in the 1960s and 1970s, highlighting the need for more high-quality contemporary research.