Who are you after psychedelics? A systematic review and a meta-analysis of the magnitude of long-term effects of serotonergic psychedelics on cognition/creativity, emotional processing and personality
Ivana Solaja, Kate Haldane, Natasha L. Mason, Brandon Weiss, Xiaomin Xu, Mei Xu, Stevan Nikolin, Tharusha Jayasena, Michael Millard, Jonathan Brett, Adam Bayes, Colleen Loo, Donel Martin
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews February 3, 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105570 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 304 |
| Population | Participants in randomized and non-randomized controlled studies of serotonergic psychedelics |
| Intervention | serotonergic psychedelics |
| Duration | One week minimum follow-up |
| Topics | Serotonin |
| Keywords | Meta-analysis Psycinfo Disgust Cognition Clinical psychology Randomized controlled trial Sadness Personality Medline |
| Citations | 17 |
| Key findings | No statistically significant effects were found for most outcomes, but faster reaction times for recognizing disgust and sadness were observed in active treatment groups. |
Abstract
This systematic review and a meta-analysis synthesised the results from contemporary, randomized and non-randomized controlled studies to assess lasting (one week minimum) changes on cognition/creativity, emotional processing and personality from serotonergic psychedelics. PubMed, Embase and PsycInfo were searched in July 2022. Risk of bias was assessed using Rob 2.0 and ROBINS-I. Ten studies met the eligibility criteria which involved 304 participants. No statistically significant effects were found for the majority outcome measures across the three constructs. A meta-analysis of emotional recognition outcomes found an overall significant effect for faster reaction times in the active treatment groups for disgust (SMD=-0.63, 95% CI=[-1.01 to -0.25], I2 = 65%) and sadness (SMD=-0.45, 95% CI=[-0.85 to -0.06], I2 = 60%). Future research should include larger samples, better control conditions, standardized doses and longer follow-up periods to confirm these preliminary findings.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on serotonin, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 16
- Neurocognitive effects of psilocybin: A systematic and comprehensive review of neuroimaging studies in humans. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews August 1, 2025
- Perceived Impact of Psychedelics on Sexual, Gender, and Intimate Relationship Dynamics: A Mixed-Methods Investigation The Journal of Sex Research March 28, 2025
- Psychedelics and substance use disorder treatment. International review of neurobiology 2025
- Psychoanalytically informed MDMA-assisted therapy for pathological narcissism: a novel theoretical approach. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2025
- The Role of Psychedelics in Contemporary Psychological and Interdisciplinary Inquiry. Journal of Personalized Medicine September 28, 2025
and 11 more in the library
Cites 81
- Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial Journal of Psychopharmacology November 30, 2016
- Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial Journal of Psychopharmacology November 30, 2016
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study. The Lancet Psychiatry May 17, 2016
- Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder JAMA Psychiatry November 4, 2020
and 76 more in the library