The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current findings and data on the therapeutic effects of psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic alkaloid primarily found in Psilocybe mushrooms. This review covers psilocybin's efficacy and safety profile, therapeutic effects, proposed indications and contraindications, drug-drug interactions, adverse reactions,...
The goal of palliative care is to focus on the holistic needs of the patient and their family versus the pathology of the patient's diagnosis to reduce the stress of illness. U.S. servicemembers deployed to austere environments worldwide have significantly less access to palliative care than in military treatment facilities in the U.S. Preparation for future conflicts introduces the concept of...
This review assesses the impact of early integration of palliative care and the disparities that exist among patients with gynecologic malignancies. It also highlights the recent advances in symptom management, goals of care communication, and end of life care. Although palliative care has been utilized earlier, there are still barriers to its integration both nationally and worldwide,...
To explore the potential of incorporating personally meaningful rituals as a spiritual resource for Western secular palliative care settings. Spiritual care is recognized as critical to palliative care; however, comprehensive interventions are lacking. In postmodern societies, the decline of organized religion has left many people identifying as "no religion" or "spiritual but not religious."...
Context: Psychiatric and existential distress are common and difficult-to-treat symptoms that are frequently encountered in the palliative care setting; current treatment options are limited in efficacy and tolerability. Psychedelic-assisted therapies (PAT) have gained public and scientific interest in their potential to induce rapid and effective reductions in psychiatric and existential...
In their article “Psychedelic Medicine Exceptionalism,” Cohen and Marks (2025) aim to chart a middle course between two extreme positions—the Scylla and Charybdis of psychedelic “exceptionalism” an...
Existential and spiritual suffering are frequently reported by individuals facing serious illnesses, particularly at the end of life, and are associated with diminished quality of life, increased psychological distress, and requests for hastened death. While Palliative Care (PC) aims to provide holistic support, existing therapeutic options often fail to adequately address the profound...
Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) shows promise for cancer-related depression, yet little research has examined how therapeutic context shapes patient experiences. While set (mindset) and setting (environment) are considered central to psychedelic treatment, empirical evidence on their role in PAT acceptability remains limited. This study explores factors influencing the acceptability of PAT...
People living with cancer (PLWC) often face profound existential distress that is insufficiently addressed by conventional psychosocial supports. This qualitative study explored PLWC's attitudes, beliefs, and experiences regarding psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) as a novel approach to addressing psychosocial suffering, particularly existential distress. Fifteen participants with varying...
Patients with a life-threatening disease (LTD) sometimes suffer from end-of-life distress (EOLD) which refers to the physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual suffering related to chronic illness and the possibility of death. Palliative care interventions seek to improve the quality of life of patients with EOLD and their significant others. Currently, a range of psychological and...
Background: The psychiatric needs of those with cancer and other advanced illnesses are becoming increasingly recognized. Ketamine is emerging as a promising treatment option for depressive disorders in psychiatric and palliative care. In the palliative care setting, its study has been hindered by lack of consistent administration routes and dosing. Intranasal (IN) esketamine (Spravato®) has...
Psychedelic induced mystical experiences have been largely assumed to drive the therapeutic effects of these substances, which may in part be mediated by changes in metaphysical beliefs. However, there is growing evidence that psychedelic experiences can also trigger long lasting distress. Studies of persisting difficulties suggest a high prevalence of ontological challenges (related to the way...