Journal of Psychopharmacology
June 26, 2026
Flavia Giaffone de Paiva Ferreira, João Ariel Bonar Fernandes, Renato Filev et al.
A scoping review categorized psychosocial protocols used in psychedelic research for mental health treatment. Seven categories were defined, reflecting distinct emphases on the substance, participant, research team, and sociocultural context. Although limited reporting and heterogeneity remain methodological challenges, the proposed parameters suggest a shared language to describe, compare, and examine psychosocial protocols across studies, reducing conceptual uncertainty. The review may facilitate research decision-making and support structured, replicable study designs while allowing flexibility for individualized and culturally responsive care. Explicitly defining the intended purpose of psychosocial protocols could improve transparent reporting and evaluation.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
June 24, 2026
Kathryn Fletcher, Nadine Ezard, Krista J. Siefried et al.
People with methamphetamine use disorder who underwent ketamine-assisted psychotherapy described the treatment as a multi-stage process rather than a simple drug effect. Participants reported that ketamine created a temporary state of reduced emotional and cognitive reactivity, which they called 'psychological space,' making them more receptive to psychotherapy. However, behavioral changes—including reduced methamphetamine use—were variable and depended on ongoing therapeutic engagement, personal motivation, and life context. Participants were uncertain whether improvements came from the ketamine, the therapy, or the supportive environment. Acceptability was generally high when treatment occurred in a structured clinical setting.
Psychotherapy and psychosomatics
June 19, 2026
Judith Rohde, Tyler M Moore, Kathryn Walker et al.
A systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis of 12 studies (533 participants) found that higher baseline PTSD severity was the most robust predictor of symptom reduction after combined ketamine and psychotherapy. More psychotherapy sessions, more ketamine sessions, and shorter treatment duration were also associated with greater improvement, but these findings are tentative because most studies were of poor quality. The analysis showed that for each additional psychotherapy session, PTSD symptoms improved by an average of 1.03 points on the PCL-5, and for each additional ketamine session, improvement was 1.15 points. The results require confirmation in well-designed prospective trials.
Journal of Clinical Psychology
June 15, 2026
Lucas Cruz, Fernando R. Beserra, Julia M.k. Freind et al.
Music is frequently used in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, but there is no standardized protocol for selecting or implementing it. A systematic review of 36 articles found that 25 mentioned music, mostly in studies of psilocybin and MDMA for depressive disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder. Procedures varied widely across studies, partly because different disorders and substances were investigated, and partly because no uniform guidelines exist. Identifying which features of music are prioritized may help guide future clinical practice and research.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
June 12, 2026
Zuzana Postránecká, Matyáš Lucký, Viktor Mravčík et al.
Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) shows cautious clinical potential for treating substance use disorders, but the evidence remains heterogeneous and largely from observational, open-label, or historical studies rather than strong randomized controlled trials. In the Czech Republic, recent developments include ketamine-assisted psychotherapy initiatives, inclusion of PAP in national addictology guidance, publication of national psychiatry guidelines for psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy, and a 2025 legislative reform introducing psilocybin for medical use from January 2026. Broader integration will require clearer indications, accredited training, longitudinal outcome monitoring, and transparent communication of benefits and risks.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
June 10, 2026
Sina Susanna Schüttler, John Nathaniel Parker, Daniel Münster
As ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) moves into clinical practice, ethical challenges arise around access, consent, and therapeutic integrity. Interviews with 16 physicians and clinical psychologists in Norway, conducted before the country's August 2025 approval of ketamine reimbursement for treatment-resistant depression, revealed three key themes: access to care was inequitable due to cost, geography, and restrictions on public communication; informed consent was complicated by ketamine's unpredictable effects, requiring flexibility and experiential familiarity; and therapeutic integrity depended on maintaining psychotherapy alongside ketamine, with risks of fragmented care and unrealistic expectations. The principlist framework helped structure these issues but could not fully capture systemic factors like funding and biomedical consent norms.
Psychopharmacology
June 10, 2026
Julian Kirsch, C. Poppe, Anne Beck et al.
Most people with alcohol use disorder (AUD) are aware of psychedelic research and would be willing to try psychedelic therapy, but their openness depends heavily on expecting it to succeed. In a mixed-method study of 112 participants from two non-psychedelic clinical trials and 10 patients from addiction outpatient services, 62.5% knew about psychedelic research and 64.3% were willing to join a psychedelic therapy trial. Willingness was strongly linked to higher expectations of research success, not to age or knowledge alone. Interviews revealed a spectrum of attitudes shaped by perceived therapeutic potential, fears of addiction or loss of control, personal and societal experiences with substances, and media exposure. Expectation of benefit was central to openness.
Journal of psychoactive drugs
June 10, 2026
Jack H Buchanan, Brandon Reynante, Michael T Dinh et al.
A cross-sectional survey of fifty licensed U.S. providers of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) for depression reveals wide variability in real-world practices. Ketamine was most often given intramuscularly (42%) or sublingually (40%) at psychedelic doses. Most providers (74%) conducted psychotherapy before, during, and after administration, commonly using Internal Family Systems (74%), humanistic/existential (62%), and supportive (58%) modalities, typically blending three to four approaches. The most endorsed treatment goals were fostering inner healing intelligence, leveraging neuroplastic effects, and facilitating a transformative experience. No significant association between psychotherapy modalities and treatment goals was found, indicating unclear logic for matching approaches to outcomes. The findings underscore the need for comparative clinical trials to establish evidence-based standards for KAP and other psychedelic-assisted therapies.
Psychoactives
June 8, 2026
Fizza Mitter, Anton Sheptooha, Janni Leung et al.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often not well treated by current medications or talk therapies, leading to interest in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials with 358 participants examined MDMA, ketamine, and cannabidiol. MDMA-assisted psychotherapy produced a moderate-to-large reduction in PTSD symptoms, with more participants achieving clinical response and loss of PTSD diagnosis. Ketamine showed a small, non-significant effect, and one trial of cannabidiol found no clear benefit. All agents were generally well tolerated. The evidence is dominated by MDMA trials, and safety data remain insufficient for strong comparisons. More studies with standardized outcomes and direct comparisons are needed.
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
June 5, 2026
Elise C Tarbi, Ian Bhatia, Nabil Balach et al.
A direct observation coding system can reliably identify moments when people narrate experiences of awe during psychedelic-assisted therapy. In 32 video-recorded therapy sessions from a Phase 2 trial of psilocybin-assisted therapy for advanced cancer, two coders independently identified 246 moments of awe narration across 16,760 minutes. Coders were substantially more confident when vastness was present (odds ratio 4.3). The coding system was refined to split accommodation into two components: initial cognitive disruption and later engagement with that disruption. Awe narration is observable using explicit definitional criteria, providing a foundation for larger-scale studies.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
June 2, 2026
Brandon Reynante, Jack Buchanan
Music has been integral to psychedelic experiences across history, from shamanic rituals to modern psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT), yet standardized protocols for its use are lacking. This interdisciplinary review compared musical features in three contexts: modern PAT, traditional entheogenic rituals, and musically-induced peak experiences. Conflicting features emerged: PAT music peaks with simplicity, consistency, and slow tempo; ritual music uses simple forms with rhythmic complexity, subtle variations, and fast tempo; peak-experience music is complex, surprising with large dynamic changes, and fast. These differences likely stem from music's assumed role and the associated non-ordinary state of consciousness.
The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology
June 2, 2026
John R Kelly, Christopher Sheridan, Patricia Iusan et al.
Classical serotonergic psychedelics like psilocybin show emerging evidence of therapeutic potential across depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders, with indications of transdiagnostic efficacy. Early-phase studies yielded encouraging results, but recent larger-scale phase 3 trials for treatment-resistant depression have shown more modest effects. No regulatory approvals from the U.S. FDA or EMA exist, though a few countries permit psychedelic therapies in regulated clinical settings. The long-term trajectory and real-world impact within public health systems remain uncertain. This paper examines challenges for integrating psychedelic therapies into Ireland's public healthcare system, covering regulatory approval, Health Technology Assessment, service implementation, workforce capacity, and evaluation of long-term patient outcomes.
Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS
June 1, 2026
Mai Albaik, Ayesha Hanin Shaikh, Haneen Kadi et al.
Psychology students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, reported higher knowledge, more favorable attitudes, and greater openness to psychedelic science than medical students. Among 360 students surveyed, 58.7% of psychology students had curricular exposure to psychedelics versus 38.7% of medical students, and 47.5% versus 23.2% were aware of psychedelic-assisted therapy. Psychology students also showed stronger support for legalization (50.9% vs. 33.1%) and recognition of spiritual benefits (51.3% vs. 29.8%). Openness to learning and clinical application was higher among psychology students (62.0% vs. 48.1%), though both groups expressed concerns about risks. Integrating evidence-based psychedelic education into curricula may improve awareness and responsible clinical adoption.
Brain and behavior
June 1, 2026
Aloysius Amos Lau, Shalini Arunogiri, Boen Raner-Galutera et al.
1 citation
Peer Support Workers (PSWs) in mental health and substance use treatment largely support psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) and are willing to recommend it to clients. A survey and follow-up interviews with five PSWs revealed that while interest is strong, concerns exist around client safety, psychoeducation, stigma, and accessibility. The study identifies key factors shaping PSWs' perspectives on PAT, which can inform safe implementation and the potential role of PSWs in this emerging treatment modality.
Psychotherapy (Chicago, Ill.)
June 1, 2026
Roman Palitsky, Laura E Captari, Jessica L Maples-Keller et al.
3 citations
The relational spirituality model (RSM) provides a framework for developing spiritual and religious competence in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies. Psychedelic-assisted therapies can provoke personally meaningful spiritual or existential experiences linked to improved outcomes. The RSM's inclusive spiritual, existential, religious, and theological approach offers a pluralistic way to engage diverse traditions in therapy. The article describes the RSM and introduces pragmatic training methods—deliberate practice, experiential components, SERT groups, and assessment training—that can be integrated into existing mental health or psychedelic therapy training programs. It also discusses how the RSM can inform interdisciplinary collaborations across disciplines and healing communities.
Psychodynamic psychiatry
June 1, 2026
Christopher W. T. Miller, Zofia Kozak
Classic psychedelics and MDMA are increasingly studied for treating mental health conditions, with users often reporting profound experiences of awe, connectedness, and spiritual transformation. This article applies Wilfred Bion's psychoanalytic concepts, particularly his theory of containment and the K link (knowledge), to neurobiological models of the mind and the effects of these drugs. It discusses how early adversity affects neurodevelopment and neural circuitry, leading to hyperarousal and rigid cognitions, and reviews literature on using these substances for trauma- and stressor-related disorders. A Bionian lens may enrich understanding of how MDMA and psychedelics facilitate therapeutic change in trauma treatment.
Brain and behavior
June 1, 2026
T Rowe, T Hurzeler, E Towers et al.
1 citation
Music amplifies and intensifies emotions during psychedelic experiences, recruits brain networks involved in meaning-attribution and visual imagery, and increases overall neural entropy. These findings come from a scoping review of 19 quantitative studies (total 330 human participants) that examined interactions between psychedelics and music, primarily with psilocybin and LSD. No studies investigated MDMA and music. Music conditions across studies have been limited. Considerable gaps remain in understanding mechanisms of action and how music is delivered to optimize therapeutic response, due in part to methodological inconsistencies and small sample sizes.
Journal of traumatic stress
June 1, 2026
Kadek Suhardita, Veno Dwi Krisnanda, Rikas Saputra et al.
MDMA-assisted psychotherapy shows promise for treating PTSD, but the evidence base has major limitations: difficulties in blinding, expectancy effects, lack of active comparators, unclear mechanisms, and safety concerns. The commentary argues these issues are central to interpreting the therapy's effects and future translation. It calls for moving beyond symptom reduction to broader recovery indicators like functioning, quality of life, relational restoration, and long-term durability. Stronger attention to equity, scalability, therapist training, and ethical safeguards is needed, especially for global mental health frameworks. The discussion aims to stimulate deeper debate on evaluating innovation in trauma treatment before widespread clinical adoption.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
June 1, 2026
William E Rosa, Stephanie Napolitano, Natalie Mcandrew et al.
Meaning-centered psychotherapy (MCP) is a manualized, brief intervention that enhances meaning and purpose and appears to be a natural therapeutic partner for psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) in patients with cancer and major depressive disorder. In a phase 2 open-label trial, seven patients (ages 53-80) and six therapists (with 9-44 years of experience) participated in surveys and focus groups to adapt MCP for psilocybin. Focus groups highlighted the value of psilocybin experiences, group support, and MCP both separately and together. A 5-session model called MCP-PSIL was developed. The group format was emphasized, though individual MCP may be appropriate in some cases.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
June 1, 2026
Sara N Lappan, Sean D Davis
Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy effectively treats individual conditions like addiction, anxiety, depression, and PTSD, but current research overlooks relational and systemic factors. This conceptual article proposes integrating relational principles into therapy and research, emphasizing how psychedelic experiences affect interpersonal dynamics, attachment patterns, and family systems. A 10-session research protocol is outlined, including preparation, psilocybin administration, and integration sessions that involve partners or family members. Outcome measures assess relational quality, attachment security, communication, emotional intimacy, and intergenerational trauma using validated tools. The framework draws on Bowenian family systems theory, structural family therapy, emotionally focused therapy, and contextual family therapy, aiming to bridge a gap in the literature and promote long-term systemic change beyond individual symptom reduction.