A dose of therapy with psilocybin - A meta-analysis of the relationship between the amount of therapy hours and treatment outcomes in psychedelic-assisted therapy
Jennie Hultgren, Matthias H Hafsteinsson, Joel Gruneau Brulin
General Hospital Psychiatry August 5, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2025.07.020 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA review of studies on psychedelic-assisted therapy found no evidence that the number of therapy hours affects depression outcomes. The authors caution that this conclusion is tentative because the studies included small numbers of participants, varied widely in methods, and poorly documented the therapy provided. They call for future research to use more rigorous methods and standardized reporting to better understand the role of therapy.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Meta-analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Meta-analysis Medicine Pharmacotherapy Psychotherapist |
| Citations | 13 |
| Key finding | The amount of therapy hours did not influence depressive outcomes in psychedelic-assisted therapy, but this finding should be interpreted with caution due to small sample sizes, heterogeneity, and poor reporting. |
Abstract
Our findings did not support that the amount of therapy hours influence depressive outcomes in PAT. However, this interpretation should be made with caution due to small sample sizes, heterogeneity, and poor reporting of the therapeutic component across studies. Future research should apply greater methodological rigor and standardized reporting of therapy to clarify its role in PAT.