Psychedelic therapy and postpartum depression: priorities and prospects
This review (2026) considers serotonergic psychedelic therapy as a potential treatment for postpartum depression, highlighting early encouraging findings but stressing that its efficacy and safety are not yet established. It also examines the biological pathways involved in postpartum depression and calls for tailored, long-term studies that account for the unique needs and risks of the postpartum period.
Authors
- John Kelly
Published
Abstract
Approximately 15% of pregnant women experience postpartum depression (PPD). Even with currently available antidepressant treatments, many women will continue to be impaired by symptoms. Psychedelic therapy offers a promising transdiagnostic therapeutic strategy for several mental health disorders, and early results from current trials suggest that serotonergic psychedelics may represent a viable therapeutic approach for PPD. However, there is marked variability in the therapeutic response to psychedelic therapy, and the benefit–risk ratio in this population is not yet clear. To inform the rationale for the use of serotonergic psychedelics in the treatment of PPD, this review summarises the existing knowledge of immune, endocrine and neural pathways underpinning PPD and explores how serotonergic psychedelics interact with these pathways in the context of maternal motivation, bonding and caregiving behaviours. Finally, special considerations for psychedelic therapy in the postpartum period are outlined and future perspectives explored. Despite the rationale and encouraging early findings, further research is required to determine efficacy and safety profiles. Future studies, particularly longitudinal trials, should include adaptations and safeguards tailored to the unique physiological, psychological and caregiving contexts of the postpartum period.
Research Summary of 'Psychedelic therapy and postpartum depression: priorities and prospects'
Blossom's Take
Research on psychedelics around pregnancy (peripartum depression) is very limited. This review provides an overview of the current state of research and maps how psychedelics may interact with processes (immune, endocrine, neural) in postpartum (after giving birth) depression.
Introduction
Postpartum depression (PPD) affects about 15% of pregnant women globally and can disrupt maternal wellbeing, infant interaction and caregiving. The authors note that PPD overlaps with major depressive disorder but also reflects unique peripartum and postpartum changes in immune, neuroendocrine and neural systems. Although standard antidepressants remain widely used, their delayed onset can prolong distress, and the only drugs specifically approved for PPD are brexanolone and zuranolone. The introduction also highlights that early psychedelic studies in PPD are encouraging, but the benefit-risk balance is still uncertain, especially given the postpartum period’s physiological and caregiving demands. The purpose of this review is to examine whether serotonergic psychedelics could be relevant to PPD by bringing together evidence on immune, endocrine and neural pathways, and by considering how these drugs might influence maternal motivation, bonding and caregiving. The authors also aim to outline special considerations for delivering psychedelic therapy in the postpartum period and to identify priorities for future research. This is a narrative review rather than an original clinical trial. The authors position it as a synthesis intended to inform the rationale for psychedelic therapy in PPD and to identify gaps in the evidence base.
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Study Details
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Thuery, G., Crossen, F., Mc Loone, D., Hinds, C., Duffy, R., Jairaj, C., Harkin, A., & Kelly, J. R. (2026). Psychedelic therapy and postpartum depression: priorities and prospects. Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology, 16. https://doi.org/10.1177/20451253251408280
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