Probiotics showed no clear overall anxiety benefit in children and adolescents
A review of placebo-controlled trials found no statistically clear overall anxiety improvement. Findings in children with neurodevelopmental diagnoses remain uncertain because the supporting evidence was limited.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The pooled trials did not show a statistically clear anxiety benefit from probiotics over placebo. A signal appeared among participants with neurodevelopmental diagnoses, particularly autism spectrum disorder, but the authors considered the evidence insufficient. This does not establish a benefit for all children and adolescents, and the overall result does not rule out an effect.
The diagnosis-specific evidence included only 3 autism trials and 2 ADHD trials. The abstract does not report treatment durations or probiotic product details, limiting how specifically the findings can be interpreted.
What researchers found
Overall anxiety improvement
Probiotics versus placebo across the included trials. Assessment timing was not reported in the abstract.
Diagnosis subgroups need caution
An anxiety improvement reached statistical significance in the autism subgroup, but not in the ADHD subgroup. That difference in statistical significance alone cannot establish that probiotics work differently between the diagnoses.
What dropouts can tell us
Overall dropout rates did not differ significantly between the probiotic and placebo groups. This measure of treatment acceptability does not establish that side effects were absent or describe what adverse effects occurred.
The original publication
Therapeutic Effects of Probiotics on Symptoms of Anxiety in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Placebo-Controlled Trials.
Wen YH, Liang SC, Sun CK et al.
J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41274661
- Record checked
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