Developing the Open Psychedelic Evaluation Nexus consensus measures for assessment of supervised psilocybin services:...

Area of Science:

• Psycho-pharmacology
• Clinical Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Voter initiatives in Oregon and Colorado have established legal frameworks for supervised psilocybin services.
• Current measures lack standardized methods for monitoring the safety and outcomes of these services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a core set of best practice measures for supervised psilocybin services.
• Establish guidelines for assessing the quality, safety, and outcomes of psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Main Methods:

• A three-phase e-Delphi process involving 36 experts with extensive experience in psilocybin facilitation.
• Experts generated, rated, and refined measures for assessing processes, outcomes, and structure in psilocybin services.
• Measures were prioritized based on importance and feasibility through qualitative and quantitative analysis.

Main Results:

• 55 candidate measures were identified across process, outcome, and structure domains.
• A core set of 11 process, 11 outcome, and 17 structure measures were prioritized.
• These measures balance importance and feasibility for practical application in psilocybin services.

Conclusions:

• Standardizing these core measures is recommended for service providers and policymakers.
• Implementation will enhance the monitoring of safety, quality, and outcomes in community-based psilocybin services.
• This study provides a foundation for evidence-based practices in psychedelic-assisted therapy.