Psychedelic drugs in palliative care: research agenda.
Claire Stokes, Aaryan Khagram, Billie Metselaar, Taylan Gurgenci, Phillip Good
BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care December 23, 2025 DOI: 10.1136/spcare-2025-005661 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Patients with life-limiting illnesses |
| Topics | End-of-life distress |
| Keywords | Palliative care Psychological care Terminal care |
| Key findings | Existing studies on psychedelics in palliative care are limited by small sample sizes and low methodological quality, and the article proposes a research agenda for future trials. |
Abstract
Patients with life-limiting illnesses often experience profound emotional and spiritual challenges that conventional palliative care treatments may not fully alleviate. Psychedelics, with their potential to facilitate deep psychological insight, offer a promising approach to enhancing end-of-life care. Despite growing interest and emerging psychiatric applications, their use in palliative settings remains poorly understood, with existing studies limited by small sample sizes and low methodological quality. This article outlines a research agenda that prioritises adequately powered randomised controlled trials with patient-centred outcome measures, with an aim to inform policy and practice change.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on end-of-life distress, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Potential of Psychedelics for End of Life and Palliative Care. Patients with life-threatening diagnoses | 2022 | Review | |
| Psilocybin in Palliative Care: An Update. Palliative care patients | 2023 | Review | |
| Psychedelic medicines for end-of-life care: Pipeline clinical trial review 2022. People with terminal illnesses experiencing depression, anxiety, or existential distress | 2023 | Scoping review | n = 25 |
| Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for existential distress: practical considerations for therapeutic application—a review | 2024 | Narrative review |
Citations in the library
Cites 16
- 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
- Pilot Study of Psilocybin Treatment for Anxiety in Patients With Advanced-Stage Cancer Archives of General Psychiatry September 7, 2010
- Safety and Efficacy of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide-Assisted Psychotherapy for Anxiety Associated With Life-threatening Diseases The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease March 4, 2014
- Lysergic Acid Diethylamide-Assisted Therapy in Patients With Anxiety With and Without a Life-Threatening Illness: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase II Study. Biological Psychiatry February 1, 2023
and 11 more in the library