Frontier mental health research: psychedelics & drug studies

Each month our editorial team sifts through hundreds of papers and curates notable findings—for practitioners and informed readers who want to stay current with the evidence. Subscribe to the monthly Research Digest for expert analysis and concise summaries of key papers.

5 papers

Epidemiology of anxiety disorders in the 21st century

Borwin Bandelow, Sophie Michaelis
Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience Summary & key facts 2015 2,024 citations

Anxiety disorders are a group of conditions marked by persistent, excessive fear or worry and behaviors (like avoidance) that cause real trouble in daily life. They are the most common class of psychiatric disorder — large surveys report that up to 33.7% of people will have one in their lifetime…

Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development Mental Health Treatment and Access

Absolute and relative outcomes of psychotherapies for eight mental disorders: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

Pim Cuijpers, Clara Miguel, Marketa Ciharova, Mathias Harrer, Djordje Basic, Ioana A Cristea, et al.
PubMed Central (PMC) Summary & key facts 2024 107 citations

This large review combined 441 randomized trials with 33,881 patients to measure how many people show a clear response to psychotherapy across eight mental disorders. Response was defined as at least a 50% reduction in symptoms from before to after treatment. Pooled response rates were modest (for example, about 42%…

Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments Treatment of Major Depression

Efficacy and Safety of Psychedelics in Treating Anxiety Disorders

Leah Feulner, Thanpicha Sermchaiwong, Nathan Rodland, David Galarneau
Ochsner Journal Summary & key facts 2023 15 citations

Researchers reviewed published clinical trials testing psychedelic drugs for people diagnosed with anxiety disorders. They found nine trials that used ayahuasca, ketamine, LSD, MDMA, or psilocybin. Overall, the studies showed reduced anxiety symptoms and better self-image or social functioning for people with generalized anxiety, social anxiety, or anxiety linked to…

Chemical synthesis and alkaloids Psychedelics and Drug Studies Ayahuasca Ketamine

Dizziness associated with panic disorder and agoraphobia: case report and literature review

João Daniel Caliman e Gurgel, Klinger Vagner Teixeira da Costa, Flavia Nepel Cutini, Krishnamurti Matos de Araujo Sarmento, Marco André Mezzasalma, Heráclio Villar Ramalho Cavalcanti

This paper describes a 23-year-old woman whose recurring dizziness was linked to panic attacks and agoraphobia and who got better after medicine and therapy. The authors review studies showing that many people who complain of dizziness have anxiety or panic disorders, that routine ear and balance tests can be normal,…

Hearing, Cochlea, Tinnitus, Genetics Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control Vestibular and auditory disorders

Anxiety and Depression in Adults With Vestibular Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

C.H. Kim, Lauren R. McCray, Shaun A. Nguyen, Jeffrey P. Staab, Shabih Jafri, Habib G. Rizk
The Laryngoscope Summary & key facts 2025 1 citation

This meta-analysis combined 85 studies with 764,403 adults to estimate how common anxiety and depression are in people with vestibular disorders. It found higher rates of anxiety (31.4% vs. 8.3%) and depression (28.3% vs. 4.7%) in people with vestibular problems than in controls. The pooled relative risks were higher for…

Hearing, Cochlea, Tinnitus, Genetics Ocular Surface and Contact Lens Vestibular and auditory disorders
Summaries and links are for general information and education only. They are not a substitute for reading the original publication or for professional medical, legal, or other advice. Always refer to the linked source for the full study.