Jase Bakker

Date of Award

Spring 5-2025

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Degree Name

Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS)

Department

Physician Assistant Studies

First Advisor

Solberg, Julie

Keywords

Anxiety, Cannabidiol

Abstract

Anxiety disorders affect millions of Americans each year and the interest in alternative therapies is growing. The purpose of this literature review is to evaluate the efficacy of cannabidiol (CBD) as a therapeutic intervention for anxiety in adults and adolescents. In this review, three databases including PubMed, PsychInfo, and EMBASE were searched using key terms. Out of 775 articles initially identified, 11 met the inclusion criteria, focusing exclusively on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating CBD's effects compared to placebo in human subjects. Trials prior to 2011 were excluded, along with subjects who had psychiatric comorbidities or adjunctive therapies, were less than 18 years of age, were current cannabis or other drug users. The included studies incorporated diverse methodologies, including public speaking tests, neuroimaging, emotional processing tasks, and physiological measures like cortisol levels, blood pressure and heart rate variability. Findings indicate mixed efficacy of CBD. While some trials report significant anxiolytic effects, particularly at moderate dosages (300 mg), others show negligible or inconsistent results, highlighting potential dose-response variability and bioavailability challenges. Evidence suggests stronger effects observed in social anxiety disorders compared to generalized anxiety or trauma-related stress. Limitations across studies, including small sample sizes, variable dosing regimens, and lack of standardized outcome measures, prevent definitive conclusions. This review emphasizes the need for further investigation into optimal dosing, long-term effects, and comparative efficacy against established treatments. While CBD shows promise as an alternative or adjunctive therapy for social anxiety disorders, further research is required to determine CBD’s position in the therapeutic landscape for anxiety disorders.

Download

Share

COinS