J Eat Disord
October 22, 2024
Emilie Lacroix, Karsten Fatur, Phillipa Hay et al.
12 citations
Psychedelic-assisted therapies show promise for severe psychiatric illnesses, and interest is growing in their use for eating disorders. To proceed safely and rigorously, the field must address critical risks, ethical considerations, and methodological aspects in trial design. The authors provide provisional guidelines for clinical research trials to protect participants and maximize methodological rigor.
J Eat Disord
September 2, 2025
Elena Koning, Riccardo Miceli Mcmillan, Aaron Keshen et al.
3 citations
This paper argues that current psychedelic-assisted therapy studies for eating disorders may fail to capture meaningful outcomes because they rely on standard psychiatric measures that overlook the subjective, first-person experience of the disorder. From a phenomenological psychopathology perspective, the authors contend that eating disorders involve profound alterations in self-perception, embodiment, and identity that cannot be adequately assessed through symptom checklists or behavioral metrics alone. They suggest that incorporating experiential data and qualitative accounts of transformative shifts in sense of self and body relationship could provide a more accurate picture of therapeutic efficacy.
Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland)
March 6, 2026
Elena Koning, Susan Gamberg, Aaron Keshen
1 citation
Eating disorders remain difficult to treat, with high dropout and low remission rates in cognitive-behavioral therapy for eating disorders (CBT-ED). Psilocybin treatment may enhance CBT-ED by producing antidepressant, neuroplasticity, and emotional openness effects that could increase therapeutic engagement and improve outcomes. This narrative review consolidates theoretical evidence for combining psilocybin treatment with CBT-ED, proposes considerations for a concurrent intervention protocol, and outlines clinical and research considerations for testing its feasibility, safety, and efficacy. The authors expect this work to advance treatments for eating disorders and the study of psychedelics as tools to enhance evidence-based psychotherapy.
International Journal of Eating Disorders
July 2, 2026
Elena Koning, Jérémie Richard, Aaron Keshen
Psilocybin treatment shows promise as a transdiagnostic intervention for eating disorders and their common psychiatric comorbidities. Preliminary clinical evidence supports its feasibility, safety, and therapeutic effects, with robust transdiagnostic effects observed across comorbid conditions. Proposed mechanisms include serotonergic receptor agonism, psychoplastogenic effects, and neural network desynchronization that target shared vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities map onto dimensional constructs in the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (Emotional Dysfunction superspectrum, Internalizing spectrum) and Research Domain Criteria (negative/positive valence, cognitive, and social process domains). Future research should explore pragmatic trial designs and dimensional outcome measures to capture real-world complexities.
Preprints.org
December 19, 2025
Elena Koning, Susan Gamberg, Aaron Keshen
preprint
Eating disorders remain difficult to treat, with high dropout and low remission rates in cognitive-behavioral therapy. Psilocybin treatment may enhance this therapy by producing neurobiological, psychological, and experiential effects such as antidepressant action, increased neuroplasticity, and emotional openness, which are hypothesized to improve engagement, reduce dropout, and boost clinical outcomes. This article consolidates existing theoretical evidence for combining psilocybin with cognitive-behavioral therapy for eating disorders, proposes considerations for a concurrent intervention protocol, and presents clinical and research considerations for testing its feasibility, safety, and efficacy. This line of inquiry aims to advance approaches that improve eating disorder treatment outcomes and the study of psychedelics as tools to enhance evidence-based psychotherapy.
The Psychiatric clinics of North America
March 1, 2026
Aaron Keshen, Stephen Touyz, Emilie Lacroix et al.
Innovative pharmacologic treatments for eating disorders, including psychedelics and stimulant medications, are being explored. Preliminary evidence suggests psilocybin may enhance cognitive flexibility and support psychological interventions in some eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa. Lisdexamfetamine offers benefits for binge-eating disorder, while medications for avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder and bulimia nervosa remain understudied. The article underscores the need for robust clinical trials to evaluate these approaches and advocates for integrating novel treatments into existing therapeutic frameworks to address the complex biological and psychological dimensions of eating disorders.