Psychedelic therapy at the end of life: unexplored alternative to assisted suicide in the UK.
The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science July 14, 2026 DOI: 10.1192/bjp.2026.10729 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractConventional suicide and assisted suicide share parallels, but psychedelic therapy can alleviate end-of-life distress and reduce suicidality. Psychedelics should be rescheduled to enable research into their effectiveness as an adjunct to palliative care before assisted suicide is institutionalised in the UK.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Editorial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Assisted suicide Drug regulation Psychedelic drugs Terminal care |
| Key finding | Argues that the UK should reschedule psychedelics to allow research into their use in palliative care before institutionalising assisted suicide. |
Abstract
In this editorial, I examine the parallels between conventional and assisted suicide. Psychedelic therapy has been shown to alleviate end-of-life distress and reduce suicidality. I advocate for rescheduling psychedelics to enable research into their effectiveness as an adjunct to palliative care, prior to institutionalising assisted suicide in the UK.