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JAMA Network Open Apr 2024Psilocybin has been studied in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders. Clinical studies have mainly focused on efficacy, with systematic reviews showing... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
IMPORTANCE
Psilocybin has been studied in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders. Clinical studies have mainly focused on efficacy, with systematic reviews showing favorable efficacy; however, none have primarily focused on psilocybin safety.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the acute adverse effects of psilocybin at therapeutic doses in the treatment of depression and anxiety.
DATA SOURCES
MEDLINE via PubMed, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for publications available between 1966 and November 30, 2023.
STUDY SELECTION
Randomized, double-blind clinical trials that reported adverse effects of psilocybin in patients treated for depression and anxiety were screened.
DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS
Data were independently extracted by 2 authors and verified by 2 additional authors following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline. The inverse variance method with the Hartung-Knapp adjustment for the random-effects model was used, with a continuity correction of 0.5 for studies with 0 cell frequencies. Sensitivity analysis was conducted by sequentially removing 1 study at a time to assess the robustness of the results.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
The primary outcome was considered as the adverse effects of psilocybin at high and moderate (ie, therapeutic) dose regimens and compared with placebo, low-dose psilocybin, or other comparator in the treatment of depression and/or anxiety.
RESULTS
Six studies met the inclusion criteria with a total sample of 528 participants (approximately 51% female; median age 39.8 years; IQR, 39.8-41.2). Seven adverse effects were reported in multiple studies and included in the analysis. Among these, headache (relative risk [RR], 1.99; 95% CI 1.06-3.74), nausea (RR, 8.85; 95% CI, 5.68-13.79), anxiety (RR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.11-4.64), dizziness (RR, 5.81; 95% CI, 1.02-33.03), and elevated blood pressure (RR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.15- 4.53) were statistically significant. Psilocybin use was not associated with risk of paranoia and transient thought disorder.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
In this meta-analysis, the acute adverse effect profile of therapeutic single-dose psilocybin appeared to be tolerable and resolved within 48 hours. However, future studies need to more actively evaluate the appropriate management of adverse effects.
Topics: Humans; Female; Adult; Male; Psilocybin; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Anxiety Disorders; Anxiety; Dizziness; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 38598236
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.5960 -
JNCI Cancer Spectrum Jan 2024How cannabis products are being used by cancer patients and survivors in the United States is poorly understood. This study reviewed observational data to understand the...
BACKGROUND
How cannabis products are being used by cancer patients and survivors in the United States is poorly understood. This study reviewed observational data to understand the modes, patterns, reasons, discontinuation, and adverse experiences of cannabis use.
METHODS
PubMed and PsycINFO database searches were conducted between May 2022 and November 2022. Of the 1162 studies identified, 27 studies met the inclusion criteria. The intercoder agreement was strong (0.81).
RESULTS
The majority (74%) of the studies were cross-sectional in design. Study samples were approximately equal proportions of men and women and majority White participants. The prevalence of cannabis use based on national samples ranged between 4.8% and 22%. The most common modes of cannabis intake were topical application (80%), smoking (73%), vaping (12%), and ingestion of edible products (10%). Younger age, male gender, being a current or former smoker, and higher socioeconomic status were associated with greater likelihood of cannabis use. The main motive for cannabis use was management of symptoms due to cancer or cancer treatment such as pain, nausea, lack of sleep, and anxiety. A majority of the participants across studies reported that cannabis helped reduce these symptoms. Lack of symptom improvement, side effects such as fatigue and paranoia, cost, and social stigma were identified as some of the reasons for discontinuing cannabis use.
CONCLUSIONS
It appears that cannabis may help cancer patients and survivors manage symptoms. However, more longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether positive experiences of cannabis use outweigh adverse experiences over time in this vulnerable population.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; United States; Cannabis; Nausea; Neoplasms; Analgesics; Survivors; Observational Studies as Topic
PubMed: 38291891
DOI: 10.1093/jncics/pkae004 -
JMIR Mental Health Jan 2024This study examined and reflected on the frequency of people with psychotic symptoms and features as the target population in design studies for mental health care...
This study examined and reflected on the frequency of people with psychotic symptoms and features as the target population in design studies for mental health care innovation.
Topics: Humans; Mental Health; Psychotic Disorders; Research Design
PubMed: 38194249
DOI: 10.2196/54202 -
Psychological Medicine Oct 2023Paranoia is common in clinical and nonclinical populations, consistent with continuum models of psychosis. A number of experimental studies have been conducted that... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Paranoia is common in clinical and nonclinical populations, consistent with continuum models of psychosis. A number of experimental studies have been conducted that attempt to induce, manipulate or measure paranoid thinking in both clinical and nonclinical populations, which is important to understand causal mechanisms and advance psychological interventions. Our aim was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental studies (non-sleep, non-drug paradigms) on psychometrically assessed paranoia in clinical and nonclinical populations. The review was conducted using PRISMA guidelines. Six databases (PsycINFO, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Medline and AMED) were searched for peer-reviewed experimental studies using within and between-subject designs to investigate paranoia in clinical and nonclinical populations. Effect sizes for each study were calculated using Hedge's and were integrated using a random effect meta-analysis model. Thirty studies were included in the review (total = 3898), which used 13 experimental paradigms to induce paranoia; 10 studies set out to explicitly induce paranoia, and 20 studies induced a range of other states. Effect sizes for individual studies ranged from 0.03 to 1.55. Meta-analysis found a significant summary effect of 0.51 [95% confidence interval 0.37-0.66, < 0.001], indicating a medium effect of experimental paradigms on paranoia. Paranoia can be induced and investigated using a wide range of experimental paradigms, which can inform decision-making about which paradigms to use in future studies, and is consistent with cognitive, continuum and evolutionary models of paranoia.
Topics: Humans; Psychotic Disorders; Paranoid Disorders; Sleep
PubMed: 37427557
DOI: 10.1017/S0033291723001708 -
The International Journal of Social... Sep 2023Homeless people present high rates of psychopathology, including personality disorders. Given the link between personality disorders and attachment, and the potential... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Homeless people present high rates of psychopathology, including personality disorders. Given the link between personality disorders and attachment, and the potential importance of these two traits for understanding homeless populations.
AIMS
Our aim was to review all studies focusing on attachment and on the full assessment of personality disorders in the homeless.
METHOD
Overall, 213 studies were screened through title and abstract. Of these, 63 articles were chosen for full-text assessment.
RESULTS
A total of 14 articles met eligibility criteria and were included in the present review. Six studies evaluated personality disorders and eight studies assessed attachment in the homeless. In general, reports suggested that personality disorders are highly common in the homeless, with frequencies ranging between 64% and 79% for any personality disorder. The most common personality diagnoses were paranoid (14%-74%), borderline (6%-62%), avoidant (14%-63%), and antisocial (4%-57%) personality disorders. Attachment reports differed in the methods used and presented diverse results and correlates. Even so, insecure types of attachment dominated in the homeless, accounting for 62% to 100% of the samples.
CONCLUSIONS
The high prevalence of personality disorders and insecure types of attachment in the homeless may impact intervention strategies for these people. The available literature evaluating attachment and the full assessment of personality disorders in the homeless is scarce, which supports the need for more research on these two topics.
Topics: Humans; Personality Disorders; Psychopathology; Ill-Housed Persons; Prevalence; Personality; Borderline Personality Disorder
PubMed: 36951386
DOI: 10.1177/00207640231161201