A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Investigating the Efficacy of Various Psychedelic Drugs for the Treatment of Substance Misuse

A meta-analysis of 24 studies found that psychedelic therapy reduces substance misuse behaviors, with ibogaine showing the strongest effect. The analysis included articles from 1960 to 2022 and used a random-effects model. Psychedelic treatment paired with psychotherapy was not significantly more effective than psychedelic treatment alone. The findings suggest psychedelics may be effective for treating substance use disorders, though current research remains limited.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Given the recent resurgence of using psychedelic drugs to treat substance misuse (SM), reviewing the latest information on their current status is essential. Substance use disorders (SUD) are psychiatric conditions that comprise the repetitive use of illicit substances, despite the harmful and damaging ramifications. Current treatment options for SUD are limited and have displayed low efficacious outcomes. Over the past decade, researchers have begun conducting clinical trials of psychedelic treatment for SM and mental health disorders. The current meta-analysis endeavoured to investigate the extent of efficacy in alleviating SM behaviours (P) using psychedelic therapy (I). Concurrent with determining which psychedelic enables the greatest effect (C) as a treatment tool for reducing SM (O). The search criteria obtained 1,278 articles dated from 1960 to 2022, acquired through PubMed and PsycINFO. After excluding literature, 24 papers were kept in the final meta-analysis. A random-effects model analysis was applied to investigate individual psychedelic interventions, with a corresponding combined psychedelic intervention analysis. The results favoured psychedelics as an SM treatment, with ibogaine evidencing the most prominent effect compared to the other psychedelics. Additional findings revealed the consistency of psychedelic efficacy over time and a non-significant difference between the effectiveness of psychedelic treatment paired with psychotherapy and psychedelic treatment alone, suggesting that psychedelic treatment may be effective in treating substance misuse. As current psychedelic research is limited, the present meta-analysis aims to contribute knowledge to future clinical research on the psychedelic treatment of SM.