A systematic review of income and education reporting in psychedelic clinical trials
Daniel H. Grossman, Kevin R. Madden, Nicky J. Mehtani, Brian T. Anderson, Lori L. Davis, Jennifer M. Mitchell, Peter S. Hendricks
Nature Mental Health May 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1038/s44220-025-00417-3 via CORE
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractSocioeconomic status (SES) strongly affects mental health outcomes and treatment access, but its reporting in psychedelic-assisted therapy trials is inadequate. A systematic review of 98 articles (49 primary trials and 49 secondary analyses) from 2006 to 2024 found that only 12% of primary trials reported participant income data, and 31% reported educational attainment. In US-based trials, participants had markedly higher SES than the general population: 93% had some college education (versus 62% nationally), and median incomes in major trials substantially exceeded the national median for all workers. Non-US trials showed variable patterns. This underreporting and evidence of socioeconomic disparities highlights an urgent need for standardized SES reporting and strategies to improve socioeconomic diversity in psychedelic-assisted therapy research.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Systematic review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 98 |
| Population | Articles on classic psychedelics and MDMA for mental health conditions |
| Topics | Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Psychedelic treatment Hallucinogen-assisted therapy Entheogenic medicine |
| Citations | 10 |
| Key finding | Socioeconomic status is widely underreported in psychedelic-assisted therapy trials, and US trial participants have substantially higher SES than the general population. |
Abstract
Socioeconomic status (SES) substantially influences mental health outcomes and treatment access, yet its reporting in psychedelic-assisted therapy trials remains underexplored. Here we systematically reviewed 98 articles (49 primary trials and 49 secondary analyses) published between 2006 and 2024 examining classic psychedelics and MDMA for mental health conditions. Only 12% of primary trials reported participant income data, and 31% reported educational attainment. In US-based trials, participants showed markedly higher SES than the general population: 93% had some college education (versus 62% nationally), and median incomes in major trials substantially exceeded the national median for all workers. Non-US trials showed variable patterns. This widespread underreporting of SES data and evidence of socioeconomic disparities, particularly in US trials, highlights an urgent need for standardized SES reporting and targeted strategies to improve socioeconomic diversity in psychedelic-assisted therapy research, ensuring broader generalizability and access to these emerging treatments