The Claim

In adults with moderate to severe depression receiving cognitive-behavioral therapy, supplementation with 5 grams per day of creatine monohydrate for 8 weeks has no statistically significant effect on the rate of all-cause treatment discontinuation compared to placebo.

Source: Efficacy and safety profile of oral creatine monohydrate in add-on to cognitive-behavioural therapy in depression: An 8-week pilot, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled feasibility and exploratory trial in an under-resourced area.

What the research says

Supports is higher

Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.

Supports
63score
Challenges
0score

These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

Cause and effect
1 study reviewed
In plain English

In adults with moderate to severe depression who are undergoing cognitive-behavioral therapy, taking 5 grams of creatine monohydrate daily for 8 weeks does not change the rate at which people stop their treatment compared to taking a placebo.

See the scientific wording

In adults with moderate to severe depression, creatine monohydrate supplementation (5g/day) for 8 weeks does not significantly alter the rate of all-cause treatment discontinuation compared to placebo when combined with cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Why this might work

Creatine supplementation does not change how the brain or body responds to therapy, so people continue or stop treatment at the same rate whether they take creatine or not.

Hypothetical mechanismbased on 1 study

What the research says

1 study

  1. Study: Efficacy and safety profile of oral creatine monohydrate in add-on to cognitive-behavioural therapy in depression: An 8-week pilot, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled feasibility and exploratory trial in an under-resourced area.

    People taking creatine with therapy quit treatment at the same rate as those taking a placebo, so creatine doesn’t make people drop out more often.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

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