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The safety of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy: A systematic review.

The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry
February 1, 2025
Rosana R Freitas et al. (6 authors)
Journal ArticleSystematic ReviewReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to collate and evaluate adverse event data from psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy clinical trials, focusing on definition, measurement, and reporting methods.

Results Summary

The review found that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy was generally safe, with common adverse events including elevated blood pressure, headaches, nausea, and anxiety. Suicidal ideation and behavior were rare and mainly observed in participants with a history of such tendencies.

Population

Clinical populations, particularly those with treatment-resistant depression.

Effective Dosage

Heterogeneous doses (specific amounts not detailed in the abstract).

Duration

Not specified in the abstract.

Interactions

None mentioned.

Extracted Claims (10)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy
no change
physical and psychological adverse events during and after psilocybin sessions
clinical populations
-
revealing variations in measuring, reporting methods and occurrences
#1
psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy
increase
elevated blood pressure
clinical populations
-
most common adverse events during and after sessions included
#2
psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy
increase
headaches
clinical populations
-
most common adverse events during and after sessions included
#3
psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy
increase
nausea
clinical populations
-
most common adverse events during and after sessions included
#4
psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy
increase
vomiting
clinical populations
-
most common adverse events during and after sessions included
#5
psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy
increase
fatigue
clinical populations
-
most common adverse events during and after sessions included
#6
psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy
increase
anxiety
clinical populations
-
most common adverse events during and after sessions included
#7
psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy
increase
suicidal ideation and behaviour
participants with a history of suicidal ideation or suicide attempt(s)
infrequently
observed infrequently and mainly in participants with a history of suicidal ideation or suicide attempt(s)
#8
psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy
no change
safety
clinical populations
-
safety is generally supported
#9
psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy
no change
deaths
clinical populations
no
no deaths were attributed to
#10
Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Psilocybin, a classical psychedelic, has been rescheduled for use in psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression in Australia. While evidence for its use is promising, understanding the associated risks is crucial. Accordingly, this review aims to collate adverse event data from psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy clinical trials and evaluate its definition, way of measurement and reporting. METHODS: A systematic method was employed to identify clinical trials related to the use of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in clinical populations that reported on adverse events. The quality assessment focused on relevant criteria related to adverse event definition, monitoring and reporting methods. RESULTS: A total of 24 articles were included. The studies reported heterogeneous psilocybin doses, study designs and indications. Physical and psychological adverse events during and after psilocybin sessions were examined, revealing variations in measuring, reporting methods and occurrences. The most common adverse events during and after sessions included elevated blood pressure, headaches, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and anxiety. In addition, both suicidal ideation and behaviour were observed infrequently and mainly in participants with a history of suicidal ideation or suicide attempt(s). CONCLUSION: The review highlights the need to standardise the defintion of an adverse event, including how they are measured and reported, in psychedelic clinical trials to ensure consistent reporting across studies. In addition, screening participants for suicidality history and ongoing monitoring remains important, given the potential risk identified in the literature. However, based on the available data, the safety of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy is generally supported, and no deaths were attributed to psilocybin. Nevertheless, cautious optimism is needed due to the preliminary nature and heterogeneity of the safety data.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
HumansPsilocybinHallucinogensPsychotherapyDepressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant
Study Links
Quality Scores
Safety75
Quality80/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations1
Citations/Year1.0
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.05
Weight Score2.78
Normalized Score0.66
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