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Cited by 171Psychedelics and Drug StudiesPsychotherapy Techniques and ApplicationsPain Management and Placebo Effect

Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy—A Systematic Review of Associated Psychological Interventions

Open access
Cavarra, Mauro, Falzone, Alessandra, Ramaekers, Johannes G., Kuypers, Kim P. C., Mento, Carmela·2022·Frontiers in Psychology
DOI 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.887255PMC PMC9226617
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Abstract

Modern clinical research on psychedelics is generating interesting outcomes in a wide array of clinical conditions when psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is delivered to appropriately screened participants and in controlled settings. Still, a number of patients relapse or are less responsive to such treatments. Individual and contextual factors (i.e., set and setting) seem to play a role in shaping the psychedelic experience and in determining clinical outcomes. These findings, coupled with data from literature on the effectiveness of psychotherapy, frame the therapeutic context as a potential moderator of clinical efficacy, highlighting the need to investigate how to functionally employ environmental and relational factors. In this review, we performed a structured search through two databases (i.e., PubMed/Medline and Scopus) to identify records of clinical studies on psychedelics which used and described a structured associated psychotherapeutic intervention. The aim is to construct a picture of what models of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy are currently adopted in clinical research and to report on their clinical outcomes.Ad-hoc and adapted therapeutic methods were identified. Common principles, points of divergence and future directions are highlighted and discussed with special attention toward therapeutic stance, degree of directiveness and the potential suggestive effects of information provided to patients.

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Crossref · 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.887255

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121 of 121 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Contemporary clinical trials have invariably provided preparation and integration sessions before and after psilocybin administration, but the theoretical orientation and frequency of these sessions have varied across trials.

    “Although contemporary clinical trials have invariably provided preparation and integration sessions before and after psilocybin administration, respectively, the theoretical orientation and frequency of these sessions have varied across trials (see [82] for a review).”

    From Psilocybin-assisted therapy for severe alcohol use disorder: protocol for a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, 7-month parallel-group phase II superiority trial (2024) · cites this paper as [82]

    The Discussion’s Preparation and Integration sections describe sessions around psychedelic administration, while the Results describe psilocybin approaches with different session schedules and therapeutic models (page numbers unavailable). But the review says preparation was “almost always” included and was explicitly mentioned in only 43 reviewed studies; it does not establish the claim that every contemporary psilocybin trial provided both kinds of session. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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  • Psychedelics enhance psychotherapeutic outcomes by facilitating cognitive, emotional, and behavioral transformations.

    “Psychedelics have been shown to enhance psychotherapeutic outcomes by facilitating cognitive, emotional, and behavioral transformations (103, 106, 127).”

    From Psychoanalytically informed MDMA-assisted therapy for pathological narcissism: a novel theoretical approach (2025) · cites this paper as [106]

    The Introduction says psychedelics may create an opportunity to modify rigid behaviors, thought patterns, and emotional reactions. The Discussion likewise proposes that enhanced learning and cognitive flexibility could improve psychotherapy. These passages support the proposed mechanism, but not the stronger claim that improved psychotherapeutic outcomes through those changes have been shown. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Debate continues over which therapeutic modalities best complement psychedelic treatment, with various adapted and ad hoc models being evaluated in clinical research presently.

    “Debate continues over which therapeutic modalities best complement psychedelic treatment (110–112), with various adapted and ad hoc models being evaluated in clinical research presently (106).”

    From Psychoanalytically informed MDMA-assisted therapy for pathological narcissism: a novel theoretical approach (2025) · cites this paper as [106]

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2 retracted

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Research works printed but not linked: 3

  1. Abramson H. A. (1960). The use of LSD in psychotherapy, in Transactions of a conference on d-lysergic acid diethylamide, LSD-25 eds Abramson H. A (Princeton, NJ)
  2. Institute of Medicine (2014). Treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Military and Veteran Populations: Final Assessment. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. 25077185
  3. Prochaska J. DiClemente C. (1985). Processes and stages of change in smoking, weight control, and psychological distress. Coping Subst. Abuse (Academic Press), 319– 345.

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Authors
Cavarra, M., Falzone, A., Ramaekers, J. G., Kuypers, K. P. C., & Mento, C.
Affiliations
  • University of Messina (IT)
  • Maastricht University (NL)
Corresponding author
Cavarra, Mauro
ORCID
Venue
Frontiers in Psychology
Publisher
Frontiers Media SA
Published
2022-06-10
Volume
13
Pages
887255-887255
ISSN
1664-1078 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3389/fpsyg.2022.887255
PMC
PMC9226617
OpenAlex
W4281891940
Cited by
171
References
121
Citations by year
2026: 64 · 2025: 46 · 2024: 47 · 2023: 14
FWCI
4.47
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Frontiers in Psychology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Research Publications (Maastricht University) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Research Publications (Maastricht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychedelics and Drug Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Pain Management and Placebo Effect
Keywords
psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, psychedelics, set and setting, therapeutic stance, directiveness, patient information, clinical outcomes, relapse, treatment response, therapeutic context

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