Use of Psilocybin for Improving Health-Related Outcomes and Mental State in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder: Protocol for a Living Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Preprint)
August 22, 2022 John M. Pederson, Kathryn Cowie, Averi Barrett et al.
A living systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis is planned to assess the efficacy and safety of psilocybin for major depressive disorder (MDD). The review will include randomized and non-randomized trials, searching major databases and trial registries, and will analyze primary outcomes of depression severity using validated scales, with secondary outcomes including anxiety, hopelessness, quality of life, and death acceptance. Hierarchical mixed-effects models will account for clustering across studies and examine moderators like age, sex, baseline severity, prior psilocybin use, and dose. The review will be updated continuously as new evidence emerges to inform clinical practice and policy.