A systematic review of 27 studies involving 984 participants from the Global South found that psychedelics such as ayahuasca, iboga, 5-MeO-DMT, psilocybin, and MDMA show promise for treating depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, substance use disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and eating disorders. All studies followed ethical and medical guidelines, and no serious adverse events were reported. The research suggests these substances, traditionally used as plant medicines, are safe and potentially cost-effective, offering a new treatment option for mental health conditions in regions with considerable unmet needs.
Eighteen low- and middle-income countries on five continents show promise for implementing psychedelic-assisted therapies, with South Africa, Thailand, Mexico, Brazil, and Jamaica ranking in the top tertiles across seven of eight readiness domains. Readiness depends on high mental health burden, adequate infrastructure and insurance coverage, less stringent legal prohibitions, and cultural familiarity with psychedelics. Twenty-five countries did not achieve top rankings in any domain. The assessment used thirty-four criteria across eight domains, including disease epidemiology, mental health infrastructure, workforce, and legal status, to evaluate 136 countries.