Therapeutic setting as an essential component of psychedelic research methodology: Reporting recommendations emerging from clinical trials of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine for post-traumatic stress disorder
Frontiers in Psychiatry November 3, 2022 Lauren Okano, Bri Deyo, Alida Brandenburg et al. 24 citations
Research on psychedelic-assisted therapies is growing, but few studies examine extra-pharmacological factors that may influence treatment efficacy. One critical factor is the therapeutic setting—the physical and socio-cultural environment where the drug session occurs. Despite consensus that setting matters, recommendations for reporting key setting variables remain sparse. This paper reviews what is known about setting's influence, focusing on MDMA-assisted therapy, and proposes reporting guidelines for clinical trials based on MDMA-for-PTSD research. The authors suggest expanding these to include the subject's mood, expectations, and psychological condition once that area matures. The guidelines aim to increase data for future empirical study while preserving practitioner and patient autonomy.