Control Conditions in Randomized Trials of Psychedelics
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry May 4, 2023 Sandeep M. Nayak, Melissa K Bradley, Bethea A. Kleykamp et al. 38 citations
A systematic review of randomized trials of psychedelics in humans found that most studies use inert placebos rather than active comparators, and very few assess whether blinding was successful. Of 86 unique studies, 61.2% used an inert placebo, 20.0% used active comparators, and only 17.3% included any assessment of blinding; when assessed, blinding success was generally poor. Only 3 of 21 therapeutic trials compared psychological support to a minimally supportive condition. The review concludes that randomized psychedelic trials underutilize blind assessment, active drug controls, and adequate control conditions for psychological support, and recommends improvements to trial methods.