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Psychedelic drugs for psychiatric disorders.

Sabrina Correa Da Costa, Tyler Oesterle, Teresa A Rummans, Elliot Richelson, Mark S. Gold

Journal of the Neurological Sciences September 15, 2022 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2022.120332 (opens in new tab)

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AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Review Peer reviewed
Topics LSD Psilocybin Psychedelic-assisted therapy
Keywords Hallucinogens MDMA Ecstasy Psychedelics Psychiatric disorders
Citations 21
Key findings Preliminary evidence suggests psychedelics like psilocybin, MDMA, and LSD may offer rapid and sustained clinical benefits for psychiatric disorders, but long-term safety and efficacy remain unclear.

Abstract

Existing pharmacological treatments for psychiatric disorders have demonstrated limited efficacy, delayed onset of action, and significant burden of side effects. Recent findings from human studies with psychedelics have shown promise, demonstrating rapid and sustained clinical benefits of these compounds for a variety of psychiatric disorders. Classical psychedelics have a rich history and some of these compounds have been used in shamanic and spiritual ceremonies for millennia. The psychoactive effects of these drugs, particularly on human consciousness, have generated great scientific curiosity, and early research on psychedelics suggested their clinical benefits for psychiatric conditions, including alcohol use disorders and anxiety and depressive symptoms in terminal illness and life-threatening conditions. Since the 1990s, after a period of dormancy that followed the criminalization of psychedelic drugs since the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, the continued interest in their unique psychoactive effects along with the pursuit for novel and more effective treatments in psychiatry have led to a renewed interest in research on these compounds. While preliminary findings on psychedelics are encouraging, current evidence is still insufficient to support extensive use of these drugs routinely. Long-term safety and efficacy of these compounds remain unclear, and several clinical trials are underway and may add clarity to these questions. Therefore, this article intends to provide an overview of the evidence to date on psychedelic drugs - particularly psilocybin, MDMA, and LSD - for the treatment of psychiatric disorders.

Comparable studies

Other narrative reviews on LSD and psychedelic-assisted therapy, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Experience of Music Used With Psychedelic Therapy: A Rapid Review and Implications Participants in psychedelic therapy research aged 18–69 with varied backgrounds 2020 Rapid review n = 180
Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in the Context of Serious Illness. Palliative care clinicians and patients 2022 Review
The Efficacy of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in Managing Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A New Frontier? 2022 Review
Psychedelic Therapy: A Primer for Primary Care Clinicians-Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD). 0 Review
An overview of psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, and ketamine in revitalizing psychedelic-assisted therapy: Insights, limitations and future directions. 2025 Narrative review

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LSD Psilocybin Psychedelic-assisted therapy Addiction Anxiety Depression End-of-life distress MDMA Philosophy of mind Shamanism

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LSD and psychedelic-assisted therapy Psilocybin and psychedelic-assisted therapy