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Reporting of psychotherapeutic methods in psychedelic treatments: on the road to ethical, professional and regulatory oversight

Summary

Researchers reviewed 45 studies on how psychedelic drugs like psilocybin, MDMA, and LSD are used to treat mental health conditions. They found that scientists were not describing the psychological counseling that accompanies these treatments in a consistent or detailed way, making it hard to understand how treatments really work. The study calls for better documentation standards so that treatments can be properly regulated, replicated, and made safer for patients.

Background

Psychedelic substances show significant clinical potential for treating mental illness, prompting academic and industry research to meet regulatory requirements from agencies like the EMA and FDA. These regulatory pathways are beginning to define requirements for psychedelic treatments, including standardized reporting of psychotherapeutic components.

Objective

To conduct a systematic review assessing the quality of reporting on psychological interventions in original studies on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and to establish standards for improved reporting practices.

Results

Psychological interventions were implemented heterogeneously across studies with mostly low completeness of reported information. MDMA-inclusive studies showed more homogeneous psychotherapy approaches and provided more procedural details compared to other psychedelic treatments.

Conclusion

Improved reporting on psychological interventions in psychedelic treatments is necessary to support replicability, generalizability, and accurate interpretation of research. Enhanced reporting practices are expected to improve feasibility, safety of clinical research, and real-world treatment implementation.
  • Published in:European Psychiatry,
  • Study Type:Systematic Review,
  • Source: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2025.64; PMID: PMC12437853
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