Shrinking the know-do gap in psychedelic-assisted therapy.
Ginger E. Nicol, Danielle R Adams, Eric J Lenze, Leopoldo J Cabassa
Nature Human Behaviour February 24, 2025 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-025-02103-x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | These treatments Optimizing therapist training Real-world clinical practice Precise application Quality of care Evidence-based care Consistently delivered Mental health conditions Superior patient outcomes Maximizing therapeutic benefits |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key points | Argues that implementation science methods can reduce the research-to-practice gap for psychedelic-assisted therapy while maintaining scientific rigor and balancing safety and quality. |
Abstract
There is a push to shrink the anticipated 17-year research-to-practice gap for psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT), offering precarious hope to those with disabling mental health conditions. However, numerous questions regarding how PAT works, how well it works, for whom and in what context remain. Substantial changes to current systems of care, including regulatory approvals, clinical training and access will all be required to accommodate PAT, a multimodal therapy that combines pharmacological and psychotherapy components that are not routinely available outside clinical research settings. Implementation science can help to reduce the gap in a way that maintains scientific rigour by simultaneously examining the safety, effectiveness and implementation of PAT. Specifically, precision implementation science methods (for example, sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (SMART) designs), hybrid study designs, valid measurement of fidelity and use of theory-based models and frameworks for treatment development will accelerate the process of implementation while balancing safety and quality. The time to proceed, with accelerated caution, is now.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on psychedelic-assisted therapy, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theorizing that Psychedelic Assisted Therapy May Play a Role in the Treatment of Trauma-Induced Personality Disorders. | 2024 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Learning to Let Go: A Cognitive-Behavioral Model of How Psychedelic Therapy Promotes Acceptance | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Awe: a putative mechanism underlying the effects of classic psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy | 2018 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Ethical and legal issues in psychedelic harm reduction and integration therapy | 2021 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Towards psychedelic apprenticeship: Developing a gentle touch for the mediation and validation of psychedelic-induced insights and revelations. | 2022 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- The science of psychedelic medicine. Nature Medicine February 6, 2026
- Community engagement as a foundation for implementation research for group psilocybin assisted therapy in New Mexico Frontiers in Public Health June 17, 2026
- Assessing logistical and ethical barriers for psychedelic-assisted therapy implementation: A cross-sectional pharmacist survey Psychedelics April 20, 2026
- The therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs: Legal, policy, and neuroscientific perspectives. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior November 1, 2025
Cites 20
- MDMA-assisted therapy for moderate to severe PTSD: a randomized, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial. Nature Medicine October 1, 2023
- Psilocybin desynchronizes the human brain. Nature August 1, 2024
- Breakthrough for Trauma Treatment: Safety and Efficacy of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy Compared to Paroxetine and Sertraline Frontiers in Psychiatry September 12, 2019
- Psychedelic Drug Legislative Reform and Legalization in the US JAMA Psychiatry December 7, 2022
- Lifetime experience with (classic) psychedelics predicts pro-environmental behavior through an increase in nature relatedness Journal of Psychopharmacology June 20, 2017
and 15 more in the library