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LSD and psychedelic-assisted therapy

Studies whose primary subject is both LSD and Psychedelic-assisted therapy, with an evidence synthesis read across the most-cited and most recent of them.

State of the evidence

Synthesized

Synthesized from 25 studies in the library · AI-generated, grounded in the abstracts below

Found by searching the library for LSD, lysergic acid diethylamide, lysergide, Psychedelic-assisted therapy, psychedelic therapy, assisted psychotherapy, then ranked by relevance.

The research indicates that LSD-assisted psychotherapy shows promise for reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms, particularly in patients with life-threatening illnesses, with some studies reporting sustained benefits for up to 12 months. However, the evidence base is limited by small sample sizes, methodological heterogeneity, and a lack of large-scale randomized controlled trials. Safety data suggest that psychedelics are generally well-tolerated in controlled settings, with mostly transient adverse effects like elevated heart rate and nausea. Overall, while the findings are encouraging, they are preliminary and require confirmation in larger, more rigorous studies.

Evidence by study

Direction is which way each study's own result points, not our rating of the study.

What the directions mean
Supports:
the study found the intervention worked, or its hypothesis held.
Opposes:
it found the opposite, no benefit or a harm.
No effect:
no significant difference either way.
Mixed:
effects in both directions within the same study.
Unclear:
the abstract does not report a direction.
Study Design Sample size Direction Finding
Safety and Efficacy of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide-Assisted Psychotherapy for Anxiety Associated With Life-threatening Diseases 2014 randomized controlled trial 12 Supports LSD-assisted psychotherapy reduced trait and state anxiety at 2 months, with effects sustained for 12 months, and no serious adverse events.
LSD-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety associated with a life-threatening disease: A qualitative study of acute and sustained subjective effects 2014 prospective follow-up with qualitative content analysis 10 Supports LSD-assisted psychotherapy produced sustained reductions in anxiety and improvements in quality of life over 12 months, with no lasting adverse reactions.
LSD-Assisted Psychotherapy in Patients with Terminal Cancer 1973 experimental study 60 Supports The psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy led to significant improvement in emotional and physical distress for most patients, with 29% showing dramatic improvement and 41.9% moderate improvement.
Psychedelic therapy for depressive symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis. 2023 systematic review with meta-analysis 14 Supports Psychedelic therapy with psilocybin, ayahuasca, or LSD was associated with significant reduction of depressive symptoms at 1 day, 1 week, and 3-5 weeks, but results at 6-8 weeks were less conclusive.
Psychedelics and Psychotherapy: Cognitive-Behavioral Approaches as Default 2022 theoretical or philosophical paper Unclear Argues that cognitive-behavioral therapies, especially ACT, have the strongest rationale for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy due to cultural sensitivity, minimal speculative assumptions, and strong empirical support.
Flashback: psychiatric experimentation with LSD in historical perspective. 2005 historical analysis Unclear Argues that LSD trials in Saskatchewan were mainstream psychiatric research that failed due to changing scientific standards for clinical trials and cultural factors leading to criminalization of the drug.
Acute subjective effects in LSD- and MDMA-assisted psychotherapy 2020 observational study 18 Supports LSD and MDMA produced acute alterations of consciousness and mystical-type experiences in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder and depression that were largely comparable to effects in research subjects.
United States National Institutes of Health grant funding for psychedelic-assisted therapy clinical trials from 2006-2020. 2022 systematic review Opposes NIH awarded no grants directly funding psychedelic-assisted therapy clinical trials from 2006 to 2020.
Psychedelic Therapy Utilizing LSD in the Treatment of the Alcoholic Patient: A Preliminary Report 1967 pilot study 69 Supports Psychedelic therapy adds significantly to presently available alcoholic rehabilitation resources.
Experience of Music Used With Psychedelic Therapy: A Rapid Review and Implications 2020 rapid review 180 Supports Music is widely considered integral for meaningful emotional and imagery experiences and self-exploration during psychedelic therapy, and participant openness to music and participant-centered music selection are associated with optimal outcomes.
Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in the Context of Serious Illness. 2022 review Supports Psychedelic-assisted therapy can safely and effectively reduce anxiety, depression, and demoralization in seriously ill and end-of-life patients, but practical guidance for palliative care clinicians remains limited.
Safety and risk assessment of psychedelic psychotherapy: A meta-analysis and systematic review. 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis 30 Supports Psychedelics are well-tolerated with a low risk of serious adverse events in controlled settings, though they increase risk of elevated heart rate, blood pressure, and nausea during the acute phase.
Psychedelic Therapy (Utilizing LSD) with Cancer Patients 1970 clinical description and case report Supports LSD-assisted psychedelic therapy can help cancer patients reduce existential distress and improve psychological well-being.
LSD-assisted therapy in patients with anxiety: open-label prospective 12-month follow-up. 2024 randomized controlled trial 39 Supports LSD-assisted therapy produced sustained reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms at long-term follow-up, with decreased neuroticism and increased extraversion.
LSD therapy in Dutch psychiatry: changing socio-political settings and medical sets. 2002 theoretical or philosophical paper Unclear Argues that the term "psychodysleptics" is more clinically precise than "hallucinogens" for classifying LSD and similar drugs, as it better describes their psychological effects and acknowledges the role of cultural definitions of reality.
Real-world effectiveness and safety of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: Outcomes from a large-scale compassionate use cohort in Switzerland. 2026 retrospective observational cohort 115 Supports A single fully-active dose session of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy with LSD or psilocybin was associated with significant reductions in depressive and anxiety symptoms in a real-world clinical cohort.
Psychedelic-assisted therapy: a survey on the clinical methods of Swiss physicians. 2026 survey 41 Unclear Psychedelic-assisted therapy in Switzerland is provided primarily in private practice settings, uses psilocybin most often, and matches substance choice to diagnosis, with depression treated mainly with psilocybin and PTSD with MDMA.
A Promise Without Panacea: Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies in Modern Psychiatry. 2026 editorial Unclear Argues that psychedelic-assisted therapies show therapeutic potential but require responsible integration addressing regulatory, methodological, ethical, and access challenges.
Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (Pat): A New Frontier in Mental Health Treatment 2025 review Supports Psychedelic-assisted therapy shows promise for treating mental health disorders, but evidence gaps remain, especially for older adults.
Provider perspectives on challenges in treatment during psychedelic therapy. 2025 cross-sectional survey 40 Mixed The most common challenges reported by psychedelic providers are intense dysphoria during sessions, disappointment with the intervention, and re-engaging with traumatic experience, with 70% of respondents endorsing extra support for individuals with PTSD or prior trauma.
An overview of psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, and ketamine in revitalizing psychedelic-assisted therapy: Insights, limitations and future directions. 2025 narrative review Supports Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, through compounds like psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, and ketamine, offers therapeutic potential for depression, PTSD, and addiction by modulating serotonin receptors and brain network connectivity, though challenges remain in methodology, regulation, and ethics.
LSD Restores Synaptic Plasticity in VTA of Morphine-Treated Mice and Disrupts Morphine-Conditioned Place Preference. 2025 experimental study Supports LSD treatment accelerated extinction of morphine-induced conditioned place preference and restored excitatory synaptic plasticity in VTA GABA neurons that was eliminated by morphine exposure.
Efficacy and safety of low- versus high-dose-LSD-assisted therapy in patients with major depression: A randomized trial. 2025 randomized controlled trial 61 Mixed High-dose LSD-assisted therapy produced greater reductions in depression scores than low-dose therapy at two weeks, but the difference was not statistically significant after adjusting for baseline severity.
Set and setting of psychedelics for therapeutic use in psychiatry: A systematic review 2025 systematic review 763 Unclear Participant selection and safe environment creation were consistently reported across psychedelic clinical trials, but other aspects of set and setting like monitor training, visual distractors, and pleasant environment were not standardized, limiting comparability and reproducibility.
Exploring the potential of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for moral injury: A scoping review. 2025 scoping review Supports Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy shows promise for addressing symptoms commonly associated with moral injury, such as low self-compassion and demoralization, though no included study focused on moral injury directly.

Points of agreement

  • LSD-assisted psychotherapy is associated with reductions in anxiety and depressive symptoms in multiple studies, including in patients with life-threatening illnesses.
  • Benefits appear to be sustained for up to 12 months in some follow-up studies.
  • Psychedelics are generally well-tolerated in controlled settings, with mostly transient adverse effects such as elevated heart rate, blood pressure, and nausea.
  • Music and set and setting are considered important components of psychedelic therapy, though standardization is lacking.

Conflicts

  • One meta-analysis found less conclusive results for depressive symptoms at 6-8 weeks, while other studies report sustained benefits at 12 months.
  • A randomized trial of LSD for major depression found that the difference between high and low doses was not statistically significant after adjusting for baseline severity, contrasting with positive findings in other trials.
  • Provider surveys highlight challenges such as intense dysphoria and disappointment, which are not typically emphasized in efficacy studies.

Gaps

  • Small sample sizes and methodological limitations, including lack of blinding and standardization of set and setting, limit generalizability.
  • Long-term durability beyond 12 months is not well established.
  • Populations such as older adults and those with moral injury are underexplored.
  • Optimal dosing, therapist training, and the role of psychotherapy versus drug effects remain unclear.
  • Most research focuses on psilocybin and MDMA, with fewer studies on LSD.
Browse these studies in the library

Common questions

What does the research agree on about LSD and psychedelic-assisted therapy?
  • LSD-assisted psychotherapy is associated with reductions in anxiety and depressive symptoms in multiple studies, including in patients with life-threatening illnesses.
  • Benefits appear to be sustained for up to 12 months in some follow-up studies.
  • Psychedelics are generally well-tolerated in controlled settings, with mostly transient adverse effects such as elevated heart rate, blood pressure, and nausea.
  • Music and set and setting are considered important components of psychedelic therapy, though standardization is lacking.
Where do studies on LSD and psychedelic-assisted therapy conflict?
  • One meta-analysis found less conclusive results for depressive symptoms at 6-8 weeks, while other studies report sustained benefits at 12 months.
  • A randomized trial of LSD for major depression found that the difference between high and low doses was not statistically significant after adjusting for baseline severity, contrasting with positive findings in other trials.
  • Provider surveys highlight challenges such as intense dysphoria and disappointment, which are not typically emphasized in efficacy studies.
What is still unknown about LSD and psychedelic-assisted therapy?
  • Small sample sizes and methodological limitations, including lack of blinding and standardization of set and setting, limit generalizability.
  • Long-term durability beyond 12 months is not well established.
  • Populations such as older adults and those with moral injury are underexplored.
  • Optimal dosing, therapist training, and the role of psychotherapy versus drug effects remain unclear.
  • Most research focuses on psilocybin and MDMA, with fewer studies on LSD.
How we analyze this

This synthesis reads the 15 most-cited and 10 most recent studies whose primary subject is LSD and psychedelic-assisted therapy, up to 25 in all. The most-cited set anchors the established evidence, and the recent set surfaces work that is too new to have gathered citations yet.

A study qualifies only when LSD and psychedelic-assisted therapy or a known alias appears in its title or keywords, so broad reviews that mention it only in passing are left out. Each study is read from its abstract, strongest evidence first, and the summary reports the direction of the results along with any conflicts and gaps.

The full method, including what a person does and does not review, is on the methods page.

Ask your own question in the Research Synthesis Tool

54 articles · 16 from the last two years · 1,549 participants across 17 studies reporting sample size

Common study designs

review 13 historical analysis 9 randomized controlled trial 3 theoretical or philosophical paper 4 systematic review and meta-analysis 2

Research volume by year

Compare topics →

49 studies whose primary subject is LSD and psychedelic-assisted therapy since 2002

Studies about LSD and psychedelic-assisted therapy per year, 2002 to 2026, peaking at 12 in 2025 Bar chart: one bar per year, taller where more studies were published that year. 0 10 20 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025
2026 is partial
Show the numbers
Studies about LSD and psychedelic-assisted therapy per year, 2002 to 2026, peaking at 12 in 2025
Year Studies
2002 1
2003 0
2004 0
2005 1
2006 0
2007 0
2008 0
2009 0
2010 0
2011 0
2012 0
2013 0
2014 2
2015 0
2016 0
2017 0
2018 1
2019 5
2020 5
2021 0
2022 5
2023 6
2024 8
2025 12
2026 3

Research

Synthesize the evidence →

Real-world effectiveness and safety of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: Outcomes from a large-scale compassionate use cohort in Switzerland.

Psychiatry Research February 2, 2026 Tatiana Aboulafia Brakha, Albert Buchard, Cédric Mabilais et al. 1 citation

Classic serotonergic psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin show promising antidepressant effects in controlled trials, but real-world data from routine clinical care remain limited. This study retrospectively analysed routine data from adults with treatment-resistant depressive and/or anxiety disorders who received a first standardized Psychedelic-assisted Psychotherapy (PAP) cycle with 100...

DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2026.116992 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Anxiety Depression LSD Mystical experience +2

A Promise Without Panacea: Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies in Modern Psychiatry.

Cureus 2026 Mohsin Raza, Jasleen Kaur

Psychedelic-assisted therapies have re-emerged as a subject of increasing scientific and clinical interest in psychiatry, particularly in the context of persistent treatment gaps for conditions such as treatment-resistant depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance use disorders. Compounds, including psilocybin and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, are being evaluated in...

DOI: 10.7759/cureus.102421 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Lysergic acid diethylamide Psilocybin Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy 4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine MDMA +3

Psychedelic-assisted therapy: a survey on the clinical methods of Swiss physicians.

Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology 2026 Kristian Beichmann, Polina Catzeflis, Helena Aicher et al.

The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health provides case-by-case exemptions allowing physicians to provide psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) using psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), or 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methamphetamine (MDMA). The study provided an overview of PAT as currently provided in Switzerland under the regulatory framework of the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH)....

DOI: 10.1177/20451253261448745 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) LSD MDMA Psilocybin Psychedelic therapy +5

Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (Pat): A New Frontier in Mental Health Treatment

˜The œjournal of desk research review and analysis. December 16, 2025 M. H. M. Wickramasekara, G. D. M. C. Gonapaladeniya

Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) has emerged as a promising and innovative approach to treating a range of mental health disorders, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance use disorders. Once sidelined due to regulatory bans and social stigma, psychedelics such as psilocybin, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and...

DOI: 10.4038/jdrra.v3i2.87 (opens in new tab) Lysergic acid diethylamide Mental health Frontier Clinical trial +5

Provider perspectives on challenges in treatment during psychedelic therapy.

Psychopharmacology October 27, 2025 David A Bender, Sandeep M. Nayak, Joshua S. Siegel et al.

Psychedelic treatments are considered to involve unique treatment challenges relative to other psychiatric interventions, though these are typically not explored in detail within clinical trial reports. To determine the types of challenges that providers encounter while administering psychedelic drugs in research settings and to assess provider opinions on safeguards that may be pursued to...

DOI: 10.1007/s00213-025-06907-7 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) LSD Psilocybin Adverse events Challenging experience +2

An overview of psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, and ketamine in revitalizing psychedelic-assisted therapy: Insights, limitations and future directions.

Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry July 25, 2025 Kiana Askariyan, Mohammad Taghi Joghataei, Samaneh Dehghan et al. 9 citations

The resurgence of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy marks a pivotal evolution in mental health treatment, challenging traditional paradigms by integrating compounds such as psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, and ketamine into clinical practice. Historically marginalized due to regulatory and societal concerns, these agents are now gaining recognition for their unique neurobiological mechanisms and...

DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2025.111461 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Ketamine LSD MDMA PTSD +4

LSD Restores Synaptic Plasticity in VTA of Morphine-Treated Mice and Disrupts Morphine-Conditioned Place Preference.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology June 15, 2025 Michael Von Gunten, Tenna Russell, Isaac Stirland et al. preprint

Psychedelics are emerging as a promising treatment option for a range of neuropsychiatric disorders, including substance use disorders. One potential mechanism underlying their therapeutic benefits may involve a reversal of maladaptive plasticity induced by drug exposure. Here, we identify physiological, behavioral, and epigenetic impacts of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) on morphine-treated...

DOI: 10.1101/2025.06.12.658958 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Psychedelic therapy Addiction treatment Opioid addiction

Efficacy and safety of low- versus high-dose-LSD-assisted therapy in patients with major depression: A randomized trial.

Med (New York, N.Y.) June 4, 2025 Felix Müller, Hannes Zaczek, Anna M Becker et al. 21 citations

This trial aimed to assess the efficacy of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)-assisted therapy in patients with moderate-to-severe major depressive disorder. This was a randomized, parallel, double-blind, low-dose controlled trial (Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03866252). Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive supportive psychotherapy and either 100 μg + 200 μg LSD or 25 μg + 25 μg...

DOI: 10.1016/j.medj.2025.100725 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Depression Psychedelic-assisted therapy Depressive disorder Translation to patients +8

Set and setting of psychedelics for therapeutic use in psychiatry: A systematic review

Journal of Psychopharmacology May 12, 2025 Clémentine Estric, Thomas Duron, Sarah Kabani et al. 10 citations

Psychedelics offer promising outcomes in psychiatry. However, the preparation of participants (set) and the environmental conditions of taking a psychedelic (setting) are not standardized. We describe the set and setting for therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs in people with psychiatric disorders. In this systematic review, articles were identified in the PubMed and Web of Science databases...

DOI: 10.1177/02698811251338214 (opens in new tab) Ayahuasca LSD Dimethyltryptamine Psilocybin +9

Exploring the potential of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for moral injury: A scoping review.

Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry April 2, 2025 Viktoriia Kurkova, Olga Winkler, Andrew J. Greenshaw et al.

This scoping review addresses the need to comprehensively explore the potential of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) to facilitate recovery from moral injury. Moral injury (MI), characterized by profound psychological distress arising from morally challenging experiences, has garnered increased attention as a complex mental health concern with significant functional sequelae, especially...

DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2025.111333 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) LSD MDMA Psilocybin Psychedelic therapy +7

Clinical trials

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