Open Science Framework
July 17, 2026
Stephen P. Lewis
Objective: The objective of this narrative review is to understand what forms of spirituality screening and spiritual support are available to individuals with serious or life-threating illness involved in psychedelic-assisted therapies. Introduction: In addition to physical pain related to disease and treatment processes, people encountering serious illness frequently experience psychological...
Medycyna Paliatywna
July 15, 2026
Maciej Sulerzycki, Katarzyna Pomykała, Katarzyna Giemza et al.
In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the therapeutic use of psychedelics. In palliative medicine, they are being considered as an alternative approach to treating depression, existential distress, and chronic pain conditions. This review presents current literature on the use of psychedelic substances such as psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide,...
medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences
July 14, 2026
Ali J Zarrabi, Tanja Mletzko, George H. Grant et al.
Demoralization, a syndrome of helplessness, hopelessness, and loss of meaning and chronic pain are common sources of distress in early palliative care. Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) is an emerging intervention with preliminary data suggesting improvements in pain and demoralization. To date, PAT has not been studied among people living with both demoralization and chronic pain nor has it...
International Journal of Drug Policy
July 6, 2026
Sarah Kratina, Robert Schwartz, Carol Strike et al.
Canada's evolving attitudes toward psychedelic interventions in palliative and end-of-life care reflect a departure from historically prohibitionist policies and an emerging recognition of their therapeutic potential for individuals facing end-of-life distress. This shift parallels international regulatory developments in jurisdictions such as the United States, Australia and parts of Europe,...
BMC Medicine
July 6, 2026
Hannah Adler, Rebecca Filipic, Dr Maria Gonzalez et al.
BACKGROUND: Existential distress is commonly experienced by people with cancer, yet there are limited treatment options. The therapeutic potential for psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) utilising psilocybin for this cohort is underexplored, with emerging literature showing clinical improvements in wellbeing. In Australia there is limited knowledge on healthcare professionals' (HCPs') attitudes,...
Current opinion in oncology
July 1, 2026
Fatima Zohra Moujahid, Olivier Taymans
Psychological and existential distress are common across the cancer trajectory and can impair quality of life, treatment adherence, and family functioning. Although psychosocial and pharmacological interventions provide meaningful support, their overall effects are often modest. This review examines the emerging role of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) as a potential approach to better...