PSYCHEDELICS IN THE TREATMENT OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AND DEPRESSION: A REVIEW OF CLINICAL TRIALS
Anna Szeszko, Weronika Maria Czernek, Magdalena Cichorzewska, Martyna Płachta, Rafał Marcin Wojtan, Małgorzata Lubowiecka
International Journal of Innovative Technologies in Social Science August 31, 2026 DOI: 10.31435/ijitss.3(51).2026.6062 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Depression PTSD |
| Key findings | Psilocybin-assisted therapy produces rapid depression symptom reduction in major depressive disorder, treatment-resistant depression, and cancer-related distress. MDMA-assisted therapy showed robust PTSD symptom reduction in two phase three trials. Evidence quality is limited by small samples, blinding issues, and short follow-ups. |
Abstract
Psychedelic-assisted therapy has emerged as a prominent area for psychiatric investigation particularly with regards to treatment-resistant depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The purpose of this narrative review was to outline the current body of research regarding psychedelic and psychedelic-like compounds in these two psychiatric conditions highlighting psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted therapy for PTSD. Searches for this review focused on clinical trials, follow-up studies, systematic reviews and regulatory documentation published between 2016 and June 2026 that had been peer-reviewed. Evidence from this review confirms that psilocybin when used alongside a therapeutic intervention produces prompt reduction of symptoms for depression in Major depressive disorder, treatment-resistant depression, and psychological distress associated with cancer. There was also evidence of clinically significant reduction of symptoms with trials using 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine for the treatment of PTSD with two phase three trials showing robust reduction in symptom scores compared to placebo-plus-therapy. The current body of evidence, however, is not as extensive or as simple as has been suggested, and has several limitations: low sample sizes in multiple studies, difficulty in functioning blinded treatment groups, expectations in patients and therapists, inadequate length of follow up, a lack of demographic diversity in participants, high treatment requirements, a developing understanding of appropriate models of psychotherapy, and several unsolved safety and regulatory questions. Psychedelic-assisted therapy is therefore an emerging intervention that has potential but it has yet to be properly understood and its future is dependent on well-conducted studies, transparent disclosure of adverse events, careful patient selection, proper therapist training, long-term assessment, and health systems that are equipped to deliver treatment safely and equitably.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on PTSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychedelic Psychiatry's Brave New World. | 2020 | Review | |
| Reviewing the Potential of Psychedelics for the Treatment of PTSD | 2020 | Review | |
| Novel psychopharmacological therapies for psychiatric disorders: psilocybin and MDMA. | 2016 | Review | |
| MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD: Are memory reconsolidation and fear extinction underlying mechanisms? | 2018 | Review | |
| Clinical applications of hallucinogens: A review. | 2016 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cites 14
- 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
- Trial of Psilocybin versus Escitalopram for Depression New England Journal of Medicine April 14, 2021
- Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder JAMA Psychiatry November 4, 2020
- Single-Dose Psilocybin for a Treatment-Resistant Episode of Major Depression. New England Journal of Medicine November 3, 2022
and 9 more in the library