The safety of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy: A systematic review
Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry December 13, 2024 Rosana Freitas, Efstathia Stephanie Gotsis, Alexander T. Gallo et al. 14 citations
A systematic review of 24 clinical trials on psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for clinical populations found that physical and psychological adverse events during and after sessions varied in how they were measured and reported. The most common adverse events included elevated blood pressure, headaches, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and anxiety. Suicidal ideation and behavior occurred infrequently and mainly in participants with a prior history of suicidality. No deaths were attributed to psilocybin. The review calls for standardized definitions and reporting of adverse events in psychedelic trials and emphasizes the importance of screening for suicidality history. Overall, the safety profile is generally supported, but cautious optimism is warranted given the preliminary and heterogeneous data.