Control group improvement lower in psilocybin trials for depression
The Brown University Psychopharmacology Update October 10, 2025 DOI: 10.1002/pu.31371 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 17 |
| Population | Participants in randomized trials of depression treatments |
| Topics | Depression Psilocybin Serotonin |
| Keywords | Depression economics Serotonin reuptake inhibitor Randomized controlled trial Clinical trial Depressive symptoms Anesthesia |
| Key findings | Control group improvement rates in depression studies were lower in psilocybin trials than in esketamine or SSRI trials, suggesting psilocybin's efficacy may be overestimated. |
Abstract
A meta‐analysis comprising 17 randomized trials has found that rates of control group improvement in depression studies were lower in psilocybin trials than in studies of esketamine or a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). The results suggest that psilocybin's overall efficacy in the treatment of depression might be overestimated.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on psilocybin for depression, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Therapeutic effects of classic serotonergic psychedelics: A systematic review of modern‐era clinical studies Patients with cancer- or illness-related anxiety and depression, major depressive... | 2020 | Systematic review | n = 188 |
| The experimental effects of psilocybin on symptoms of anxiety and depression: A meta-analysis People with elevated symptoms of anxiety and depression | 2020 | Meta-analysis | n = 117 |
| Psychedelics in the treatment of unipolar mood disorders: a systematic review Patients with broadly defined unipolar mood disorders | 2016 | Systematic review | n = 423 |
| Psychedelic therapy for depressive symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Participants in studies of psychedelic therapy for depressive symptoms (Major... | 2023 | Systematic review with meta-analysis | n = 14 |
| Serotonergic hallucinogens in the treatment of anxiety and depression in patients suffering from a life-threatening disease: A systematic review. Patients with life-threatening diseases and symptoms of anxiety or depression | 2018 | Systematic review | n = 445 |