Systematic review · 2026
Review maps the talk-therapy and support protocols used in psychedelic trials
- Original title
- The purpose of the psychosocial protocol in the psychedelic-assisted therapy: A scoping review.
- Authors
- Giaffone de Paiva Ferreira F, Fernandes JAB, Filev R, et al.
- Journal
- Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England), 2026
- Molecules
- Psilocybin, MDMA, LSD, DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, Ayahuasca, Ibogaine, Mescaline, Other
- Conditions
- Other
- Evidence grade
- Low
- Source
- Read the original paper
The question
In studies using psychedelics as psychiatric treatments, what kinds of psychological and social support are wrapped around the drug session, and what are they meant to achieve?
What they did
The authors searched online research databases for experimental and observational studies using ayahuasca, DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, LSD, ibogaine, mescaline, MDMA, psilocybin or 4-HO-DiPT as psychiatric treatment. They found 62 eligible studies and assessed their methodological quality. Each study’s psychosocial protocol, meaning the preparation, support during the session and follow-up conversations, was classified by purpose, name, format, therapeutic orientation, degree of formal structure and length.
What they found
The authors defined seven categories of psychosocial protocol across the 62 studies. These categories placed different emphasis on the substance itself, the participant, the research team, and the wider social and cultural setting. Reporting was often limited and protocols varied widely between studies, which the authors say reflects genuinely different research aims and practical constraints rather than simple sloppiness.
The fine print
This is a mapping exercise, not a test of effectiveness: it does not tell us which type of support leads to better outcomes for patients. The abstract does not report how many people took part across the included studies, nor the results of the quality assessment. Study designs and reporting were heterogeneous, and this summary is based on the abstract alone.
What it means
Psychedelic trials differ a great deal in the therapy and support they provide alongside the drug, and that support is often described vaguely. A shared vocabulary for describing these protocols would make future studies easier to compare and repeat.
Evidence grade: Low. A descriptive scoping review that categorizes how studies were run rather than pooling outcome data, so it cannot show whether any approach works better.
This summary is based on the study’s published abstract.