Table 5:
Summary of RCT evidence on the use of medicinal cannabis for the treatment of mental health
| Disorder | Outcome | Comparator | Studies (participants) | Risk of Bias | Indirectness | Inconsistency | Imprecision | Publication Bias |
Pooled SMD [95% CI]a | I2 | Favours | GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | Remission from disorder | -- | 0 (0) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Change in depressive symptoms† | Placebo | 1 (42) | Not serious | Very serious | Serious | Serious | Likely | −0.14 [−0.33, 0.05] | NA | Neither | Very low | |
| Change in global functioning | -- | 0 (0) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| Anxiety | -- | -- | 0 (0) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| ADHD | -- | -- | 0 (0) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Tic/Tourette syndrome | -- | -- | 0 (0) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| PTSD | -- | -- | 0 (0) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Psychosis | -- | -- | 0 (0) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Note:
†
indicates outcomes for which forest plots are available in Appendix F.
White cells are primary outcomes and shaded cells are secondary outcomes. NA = not applicable. In all comparisons the control group (placebo/active) is the reference group.