Psychedelic-Assisted Interventions in Palliative Care: A Narrative Overview and Critical Evaluation

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care Medicine
• Psychiatry
• Psychopharmacology

Background:

• Palliative care patients often experience multidimensional suffering, including existential distress.
• Psychedelic-assisted therapies (PAT), such as ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP), are emerging as potential interventions.
• Existing secondary literature on PAT in palliative care requires evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a narrative overview and critical evaluation of secondary literature on PAT in palliative care.
• To assess the integration of emerging best-practice recommendations in this literature.

Main Methods:

• An overview of reviews (narrative, systematic, scoping, meta-analyses) was conducted.
• A comprehensive database search was performed up to February 2026.
• Data synthesis focused on clinical outcomes, safety, and adherence to best-practice domains.

Main Results:

• Twenty-two reviews synthesized evidence, primarily from early-phase oncology trials.
• PAT consistently reduced depression, anxiety, and existential distress, improving quality of life.
• Incorporation of therapeutic domains (preparation, setting, training) was heterogeneous and often incomplete.

Conclusions:

• Secondary literature suggests PAT can address psychological and existential suffering in palliative care.
• Evidence is preliminary, with methodological heterogeneity and limited blinding in studies.
• A gap exists between evidence synthesis and clinical guidance due to partial incorporation of best practices.