Psychedelics as Reemerging Treatments for Anxiety Disorders: Possibilities and Challenges in a Nascent Field.
Franklin King, Rebecca Hammond
FOCUS: The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry June 17, 2020 DOI: 10.1176/appi.focus.20200047 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy |
| Topics | Anxiety |
| Citations | 13 |
| Key findings | Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy shows promise for anxiety disorders but faces regulatory, educational, ethical, and access challenges. |
Abstract
Although psychedelics initially showed promise in treating anxiety disorders, psychedelics were criminalized and research halted in the early 1970s. A subsequent resurgence of research into psychiatric benefits of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy in the last 20 years has led to a potential paradigm shift in the treatment of numerous psychiatric disorders, including anxiety disorders. Despite accumulating evidence and likely U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in the next 2-3 years, the emerging field of psychedelic medicine faces several challenges. Obstacles include ongoing barriers on the regulatory level, lack of education, stigma among mental health clinicians, cost and scalability, and a dearth of specialized personnel prepared to provide these treatments. Deeper issues of ethical responsibility and inclusivity also exist given the historical discovery and use of psychedelics by indigenous peoples throughout the world as well the ongoing disparities in mental health delivery and access within psychiatry and psychedelic research.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-based interventions: an overall review General (healthcare, schools, workplace) | 2021 | Review | |
| A Consensus Statement on the Use of Ketamine in the Treatment of Mood Disorders | 2017 | Review and consensus statement | |
| Sudarshan Kriya Yogic Breathing in the Treatment of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression: Part II—Clinical Applications and Guidelines | 2005 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Meditation and Psychopathology | 2018 | Review | |
| Management of Treatment-Resistant Depression: Challenges and Strategies | 2020 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 10
- Ethical and Practical Considerations for the Use of Psychedelics in Psychiatry Psychiatric Services March 29, 2023
- Alleviating anxiety and taming trauma: Novel pharmacotherapeutics for anxiety disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder Neuropharmacology January 6, 2023
- Ventral hippocampal parvalbumin interneurons gate the acute anxiolytic action of the serotonergic psychedelic DOI. Neuron November 20, 2024
- Ethical issues with psychedelic-assisted treatments in psychiatry: A systematic scoping review Psychological Medicine 2025
- Assessing readiness for implementation of psychedelic-assisted mental health therapy, in low- and middle-income countries Journal of Psychedelic Studies September 4, 2025
and 5 more in the library
Cites 57
- Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial Journal of Psychopharmacology November 30, 2016
- Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial Journal of Psychopharmacology November 30, 2016
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study. The Lancet Psychiatry May 17, 2016
- The entropic brain: a theory of conscious states informed by neuroimaging research with psychedelic drugs Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2014
- Pilot Study of Psilocybin Treatment for Anxiety in Patients With Advanced-Stage Cancer Archives of General Psychiatry September 7, 2010
and 52 more in the library