Efficacy and safety of psychedelics for the treatment of mental disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Psychiatry research May 1, 2024 Yuan Yao, Dan Guo, Tang-Sheng Lu et al. 126 citations
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 126 articles found that psychedelics—psilocybin, ayahuasca, LSD, and MDMA—reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Psilocybin showed the strongest therapeutic effect, followed by ayahuasca, MDMA, and LSD. Limited evidence also supports benefits for tobacco addiction, eating disorders, sleep disorders, borderline personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and body dysmorphic disorder. The most common adverse event was headache; nearly a third of articles reported no lasting adverse effects. The findings suggest psychedelics have potential efficacy in substance-use disorders and PTSD.