The contribution of psychotherapy in potential therapeutic effects of psychedelics for treatment of opioid use disorder.
Anahita Bassir Nia, Yalda Farahmand, Garret Griffith, Ardavan Mohammad Aghaei, Gustavo A Angarita, Akhil Anand, Christopher Pittenger
Current addiction reports January 1, 2025 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1007/s40429-025-00638-7 via PubMed
Summary
Psychedelics, including ketamine and LSD, are being explored as potential treatments for opioid use disorder (OUD) but the role of concurrent psychotherapy remains unclear. Most studies did not include psychotherapy when assessing the effects of psychedelics on opioid withdrawal symptoms. The evidence is insufficient to determine if psychotherapy is necessary in these trials. Future research should investigate how psychedelic treatment interacts with psychotherapy.
Study at a glance
| Design | review |
|---|---|
| Population | trials involving psychedelics for opioid use disorder treatment |
| Key finding | There is insufficient high-quality evidence to support or oppose the necessity of concurrent psychotherapy in psychedelic trials for opioid use disorder. |
Abstract
Despite national efforts to curb the opioid crisis, the clinical and societal challenges continue to grow. FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder (OUD) are effective but are associated with high rates of treatment discontinuation and relapse. A collection of agents with acute effects on consciousness, collectively (if variably) categorized as 'psychedelics', have emerged as potential treatments for substance use disorders, including OUD. Psychedelics are typically administered alongside psychotherapy, though the role and necessity of concurrent psychotherapy remains a topic of debate. This review examines trials involving both classical and non-classical psychedelics for OUD treatment, aiming to evaluate the evidence for the importance of psychotherapy and identify the most effective therapeutic approaches, if any. No studies were identified that directly compared different psychotherapy modalities or assessed the effects of psychedelics with versus without concurrent psychotherapy. Most research examining the impact of psychedelics on alleviating opioid withdrawal symptoms did not incorporate a psychotherapy component. However, the few studies that investigated the effects of psychedelics (ketamine and LSD) on opioid use and abstinence adopted a psychedelic-assisted therapy model. There is insufficient high-quality evidence to support or oppose the necessity of concurrent psychotherapy in psychedelic trials for OUD. Future clinical trials should be structured to explore the interplay between psychedelic treatment and psychotherapy.