Quality of reporting on psychological interventions in psychedelic treatments: a systematic review
This systematic review (s=45) on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for mental disorders finds that psychological interventions are reported with low completeness and high heterogeneity. It also finds that MDMA studies are more homogeneous, with greater procedural detail.
Authors
- Robert Schoevers
- Joost Breeksema
- Jolien Veraart
Published
Abstract
Although studies of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy are accumulating, there is no consensus regarding best practice of the psychotherapeutic component. In this systematic review, we summarised the quality of reporting on psychological interventions in research about psychedelic treatments. The design followed PRISMA guidelines and was preregistered in PROSPERO (CRD42022319221). We searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Embase for original studies on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and included 45 studies assessing psilocybin, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), lysergic acid diethylamide (known as LSD), or ayahuasca, for the treatment of mental disorders. Psychological interventions were done heterogeneously across studies, and completeness of information reported about these interventions was mostly low, according to an adaptation of the Template for Intervention Description and Replication checklist. In studies including MDMA, psychotherapy was more homogeneous and more procedural details were provided. Improved reporting on psychological interventions of psychedelic treatments will support replicability, generalisability, and accurate interpretation of research, while enhancing feasibility and safety of future clinical research and real-world implementation of treatments.
Research Summary of 'Quality of reporting on psychological interventions in psychedelic treatments: a systematic review'
Introduction
Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy has re-emerged as a promising approach for a range of mental disorders after conventional treatments prove insufficient for many patients. Trials with substances such as psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca (dimethyltryptamine with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor), and MDMA have reported therapeutic effects across indications including major depressive disorder, treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, substance use disorders, and anxiety associated with life-threatening illness. However, practices vary widely: some studies offer minimal psychological support while others embed the psychedelic administration within a structured psychotherapeutic model, and there is no consensus about which psychotherapeutic components are necessary or how they should be described and evaluated. Seybert and colleagues set out to assess the quality of reporting on psychological interventions used alongside psychedelic substances. Rather than re-evaluating clinical efficacy, the review focuses on how thoroughly methods for the psychotherapeutic component are described in published studies, aiming to identify gaps that impede replication, interpretation, therapist training, and potential regulation of these combined interventions.
Expert Research Summaries
Go Pro to access AI-powered section-by-section summaries, editorial takes, and the full research toolkit.
Study Details
- Study Typemeta
- Journal
- Compounds
- Topics
- Authors
- APA Citation
Seybert, C., Schimmers, N., Silva, L., Breeksema, J. J., Veraart, J., Bessa, B. S., d'Orsi, D., Schoevers, R. A., & Oliveira-Maia, A. J. (2025). Quality of reporting on psychological interventions in psychedelic treatments: a systematic review. The Lancet Psychiatry, 12(1), 54-66. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(24)00333-X
References (33)
Papers cited by this study that are also in Blossom
Carhart-Harris, R. L., Giribaldi, B., Watts, R. et al. · New England Journal of Medicine (2021)
Goodwin, G. M., Aaronson, S. T., Alvarez, O. et al. · New England Journal of Medicine (2022)
Palhano-Fontes, F., Barreto, D., Onias, H. et al. · Psychological Medicine (2018)
Carhart-Harris, R. L., Roseman, L., Bolstridge, M. et al. · Scientific Reports (2017)
Bogenschutz, M. P., Forcehimes, A. A., Pommy, J. A. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2015)
Johnson, M. W., Garcia-Romeu, A., Cosimano, M. P. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2014)
Ross, S., Bossis, A. P., Guss, J. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2016)
Anderson, B. T., Danforth, A. L., Daroff, R. et al. · EClinicalMedicine (2020)
Gasser, P., Holstein, D., Michel, Y. et al. · Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease (2014)
Grob, C. S., Danforth, A. L., Chopra, G. S. et al. · JAMA Psychiatry (2011)
Show all 33 referencesShow fewer
Peck, S. K., Shao, S., Grue, T. et al. · Nature Medicine (2023)
Gukasyan, N., Nayak, S. · Preprints (2020)
Rosenblat, J. D., Meshkat, S., Doyle, Z. et al. · Med (2024)
Raison, C. L., Sanacora, G., Woolley, J. D. et al. · JAMA (2023)
Goodwin, G. M., Malievskaia, E., Fonzo, G. A. et al. · American Journal of Psychiatry (2023)
Lewis, B. R., Garland, E. L., Byrne, K. et al. · Journal of Pain and Symptom Management (2023)
Sessa, B., Higbed, L., Durant, C. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2021)
Monson, C. M., Wagner, A. C., Mithoefer, A. T. et al. · European Journal of Psychotraumatology (2020)
Danforth, A. L., Grob, C. S., Struble, C. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2018)
Mithoefer, M. C., Wagner, M. T., Mithoefer, A. T. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2010)
Bouso, J. C., Doblin, R., Farré, M. et al. · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2008)
D’Souza, D. C., Syed, S. A., Safi-Aghdam, H. et al. · Neuropsychopharmacology (2022)
Ramaekers, J. G. · Psychopharmacology (2022)
O'shaughnessy, D. M., Berlowitz, I., Rodd, R. et al. · Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology (2021)
Osório, F. L., Sanches, R. F., Macedo, L. et al. · brazilian Journal of Psychiatry (2015)
Oehen, P., Gasser, P. · Frontiers in Psychiatry (2022)
Schmid, Y., Gasser, P., Oehen, P. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2020)
Müller, F., Mühlhauser, M., Holze, F. et al. · Frontiers in Psychiatry (2020)
Roseman, L., Demetriou, L., Wall, M. B. et al. · Neuropharmacology (2018)
Bogenschutz, M. P., Podrebarac, S. K., Duane, J. H. et al. · Frontiers in Pharmacology (2018)
Sessa, B., Sakal, C., O'Brien S. et al. · BMJ Case Reports (2019)
Levin, A. W., Lancelotta, R., Sepeda, N. D. et al. · PLOS ONE (2024)
Vollenweider, F. X., Preller, K. H. · Nature Reviews Neuroscience (2020)
Cited By (2)
Papers in Blossom that reference this study
Smith, K. A., Harcourt, E., Cipriani, A. · BJPsych Open (2026)
Lewis, B. R., Hendrick, J., Byrne, K. et al. · PLOS Medicine (2025)
Your Personal Research Library
Go Pro to save papers, add notes, rate studies, and organize your research into custom shelves.