April 2026
Anxiety
What April 2026's 5 new studies found, synthesized from the papers below. All Anxiety research →
The synthesis
Synthesized from 2 studies in the library · AI-generated, grounded in the abstracts below
Found by searching the library for Anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, GAD, panic disorder, anxiety disorder, then ranked by relevance.
Research on anxiety in April 2026 is limited and indirect. One animal study found that ayahuasca reversed chronic stress-induced anxiety-like behavior in zebrafish, suggesting potential anxiolytic effects. However, a large retrospective cohort study found that anxiety disorders are common in individuals with hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD) and predict its development, indicating a risk factor. No human clinical trials directly testing psychedelics for anxiety were identified in this set.
Evidence by study
Direction is which way each study's own result points, not our rating of the study.
What the directions mean
- Supports:
- the study found the intervention worked, or its hypothesis held.
- Opposes:
- it found the opposite, no benefit or a harm.
- No effect:
- no significant difference either way.
- Mixed:
- effects in both directions within the same study.
- Unclear:
- the abstract does not report a direction.
| Study | Design | Sample size | Direction | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single exposure to Ayahuasca reverses chronic stress effects on sociability, anxiety, cortisol, and BDNF in zebrafish 2026 | preclinical animal study | Supports | A single exposure to ayahuasca reversed chronic stress-induced anxiety-like behavior in zebrafish, along with restoring sociability and biochemical markers. | |
| Characterising the clinical associations of hallucinogen persisting perception disorder: a retrospective cohort study 2026 | retrospective cohort study | 25778 | Opposes | Anxiety disorders were present in 26.2% of HPPD patients before diagnosis, and anxiety predicted HPPD development in psychedelic users (OR 1.5), indicating a risk association. |
A single exposure to ayahuasca reversed chronic stress-induced anxiety-like behavior in zebrafish, along with restoring sociability and biochemical markers.
preclinical animal study
Anxiety disorders were present in 26.2% of HPPD patients before diagnosis, and anxiety predicted HPPD development in psychedelic users (OR 1.5), indicating a risk association.
retrospective cohort study Sample size: 25778
Points of agreement
- Both studies involve psychedelic substances (ayahuasca, MDMA, psilocybin) and their relationship to anxiety.
- Both highlight the importance of considering anxiety in the context of psychedelic use.
Conflicts
- The animal study suggests ayahuasca may reduce anxiety, while the cohort study links psychedelic use to increased anxiety risk in some individuals (HPPD).
- The studies address different populations (zebrafish vs. humans) and different outcomes (therapeutic vs. adverse), so direct conflict is limited.
Gaps
- No human clinical trials testing psychedelics for anxiety disorders are included.
- The durability of any anxiolytic effects from ayahuasca is not addressed.
- Specific populations (e.g., social anxiety in autism) are mentioned but not empirically tested in the provided studies.
- Dose-response relationships and long-term safety data are lacking.