The effects of psychedelic-assisted therapy on illness and death anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
J Psychiatr Res March 14, 2025 Aron Amaev, Jianmeng Song, Yasaman Kambari et al. 8 citations
Psychedelic-assisted therapy produces sustained reductions in death anxiety and state and trait anxiety among people facing life-threatening illness. A meta-analysis of five randomized controlled trials found that serotonergic psychedelic therapy, which acts more rapidly than antidepressants, decreased both the fear of death and the transient and chronic anxiety that accompany serious disease. The analysis used the State Trait Anxiety Inventory to measure anxiety in the context of life-threatening illness. These results highlight psychedelic therapy as a promising alternative to limited existing treatments such as psychotherapy and antidepressant drugs. Future research should test whether these benefits extend to illness anxiety disorder and somatic symptom disorders.