SynthesisJournal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)2026
The therapeutic readiness of probiotics in major depressive disorder: A systematic review of randomised controlled trials.
Synthesis in Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundMajor depressive disorder (MDD) is a globally prevalent psychiatric condition associated with significant morbidity and often suboptimal treatment outcomes. Probiotics have emerged as a promising adjunctive therapy targeting the gut-brain axis in MDD.
aimsThis systematic review aimed to critically evaluate the efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of clinically diagnosed MDD, assess methodological quality and therapeutic readiness, and identify research gaps relevant to clinical application.
methodsA systematic search of MEDLINE, Web of Science, and PubMed was conducted in June 2023 in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. Double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised controlled trials (RCTs) involving adults with MDD were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool.
resultsThirteen RCTs involving 437 adults aged 18-75 years with MDD were included. Most trials reported improvements in depressive symptoms, particularly in outpatients with mild-to-moderate MDD treated with multi-strain formulations containing
conclusionsProbiotics appear safe and well-tolerated, with modest adjunctive benefit in MDD, most evident for multi-strain formulations in younger, outpatient populations with mild-to-moderate symptoms, supporting an individualised, context-dependent approach. Future trials should stratify patients, extend intervention durations, and integrate mechanistic endpoints to refine patient-tailored recommendations.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.