Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: where is the psychotherapy research?

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Clinical Therapeutics

Background:

• Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) is a promising treatment for mental health conditions like depression and substance use disorders.
• Current PAP models emphasize integrated psychotherapeutic support, yet empirical research on these therapeutic components is scarce.
• This gap hinders understanding of PAP's efficacy and optimization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current state of psychotherapy research within psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP).
• To identify critical questions and research gaps concerning the psychotherapeutic elements of PAP.
• To provide recommendations for future research designs and methodologies in PAP.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of current psychotherapy models in PAP.
• Analysis of debates on "psychotherapy" versus "psychological support" in PAP.
• Synthesis of lessons from traditional psychotherapy research for PAP.

Main Results:

• The psychotherapy component of PAP remains under-investigated, with ongoing debates about its definition and role.
• Existing PAP models vary, and there's a need to standardize treatments, identify mechanisms of change, and refine clinical trial designs.
• Leveraging traditional psychotherapy research offers valuable insights for advancing PAP studies.

Conclusions:

• Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) is a unique, transdisciplinary intervention.
• Future research should adopt transdisciplinary methodologies to establish best practices.
• This approach will inform federal guidelines for PAP administration and optimize patient outcomes.