The international journal of neuropsychopharmacologyMar 15, 2020

The possible use of psychedelics to treat PTSD

Psychedelic Science Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗OA ↗

Updated Mar 4, 2026

Abstract

Two psychedelics have received breakthrough designations for psychiatric use from the US Food and Drug Administration.

Psychotherapy is established as a first-line treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (), but many patients remain symptomatic.
Current medications for PTSD are limited, and new drug development has not progressed significantly.
Psychedelic drugs are being explored as potential treatments for PTSD, with several currently under investigation.
Compounds such as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, , classical psychedelics, and cannabinoids may offer distinct therapeutic benefits.
The review outlines how these compounds can be used to target PTSD symptoms rapidly or as adjuncts to psychotherapy.
Future research questions are proposed to further investigate the role of these compounds in treating PTSD.

Simplified

There are few medications with demonstrated efficacy for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (). Treatment guidelines have unequivocally designated psychotherapy as a first line treatment for PTSD. Yet, even after psychotherapy, PTSD often remains a chronic illness, with high rates of psychiatric and medical comorbidity. Meanwhile, the search for and development of drugs with new mechanisms of action has stalled. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore not just novel compounds but novel approaches for the treatment of PTSD. A promising new approach involves the use of psychedelic drugs. Within the past few years, 2 psychedelics have received breakthrough designations for psychiatric indications from the US Food and Drug Administration, and several psychedelics are currently being investigated for the treatment of PTSD. This review discusses 4 types of compounds: 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, , classical psychedelics (e.g., psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide), and cannabinoids. We describe the therapeutic rationale, the setting in which they are being administered, and their current state of evidence in the treatment of PTSD. Each compound provides unique qualities for the treatment of PTSD, from their use to rapidly target symptoms to their use as adjuncts to facilitate psychotherapeutic treatments. Several questions are formulated that outline an agenda for future research.

Key numbers

83%

Remission Rate

Patients in the group vs. placebo group.

7 days

Single Infusion Effect Duration

Duration of significant symptom reduction after 0.5 mg/kg infusion.

5 times

Improvement Duration with Mindfulness Therapy

Duration of CAPS-IV symptom reduction with combined treatment.

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The possible use of psychedelics to treat PTSD

Abstract

Key numbers

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