Psychedelic therapy to ease mental and emotional distress in serious illness and end-of-life care

Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy may address the significant unmet need for effective interventions in patients facing psychiatric and existential distress from serious medical illnesses.

• Psychiatric and existential distress are common in advanced cancer and other serious illnesses, impacting medical and psychiatric outcomes.
• Current treatments, including medication and psychotherapy, show limited effectiveness for existential distress.
• There is a critical need for effective psycho-spiritual interventions in palliative care.
• Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is proposed as a novel intervention to treat distress in life-threatening conditions.
• Existing research indicates potential efficacy of psychedelic therapies, but more rigorous studies are necessary to establish their effectiveness and mechanisms.

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