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Open research questions in Psychedelics and Drug Studies

305 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 1,073 Psychedelics and Drug Studies papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • the presence of psychological support as part of psilocybin dosing complicates eventual licensing - the intensity of acute psychological effects of psilocybin can cause anxiety and distress during the dosing day - the need for high-quality evidence on the components of psychological support required for psilocybin treatment

    Psychedelics in NHS services: exploring a model for real-world implementation of psilocybin · 2026 · DOI

  • Current data and reporting are not sufficient for analysis, - Lack of mechanistic studies, - Limited understanding of the exact role of psychological support

    Psychedelics in NHS services: exploring a model for real-world implementation of psilocybin · 2026 · DOI

  • The challenge of addressing the methodological limitations of current studies, including small samples, functional unblinding, and limited long-term follow-up. The challenge of developing a regulated ecosystem for the clinical translation of psychedelics, including product standards, service standards, patient safeguards, and reimbursement arrangements. The challenge of balancing enthusiasm and fear in public discourse, moving beyond polarized narratives and excessive enthusiasm or fear.

    Psychedelics in psychiatry: from promise to translation · 2026 · DOI

  • Small samples, - Functional unblinding, - Expectancy effects, - Heterogeneous psychological support, - Limited long-term follow-up on safety and efficacy

    Psychedelics in psychiatry: from promise to translation · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies the challenge of providing spiritual and emotional support to patients in psychedelic assisted therapies, given the lack of training in spirituality and religion among interprofessional practitioners. It also highlights the challenge of developing competencies for chaplains to provide high-quality care in this context. The paper notes the controversy surrounding the requirement for PAT providers to have had their own psychedelic experiences.

    Chaplains in Psychedelic Assisted Therapy: Rationale and Competencies · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a lack of training in spirituality and religion among interprofessional practitioners in psychedelic assisted therapies. It also highlights the need for chaplains to pursue specialized education and supervised experience beyond their standard professional requirements.

    Chaplains in Psychedelic Assisted Therapy: Rationale and Competencies · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of understanding of the attitudes of law enforcement and military personnel towards psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. The study aims to fill this gap by investigating the current views and perspectives of these groups.

    Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy: Attitudes of Law Enforcement and Military Personnel · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies the challenge of understanding the complex and diverse nature of metaphysical healing practices. The paper highlights the need to analyze the cultural and social contexts in which these practices are situated. The paper discusses the challenge of reconciling individual health-seeking with government obligations to public health.

    Heal Thyself · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of the mind-cure movement and its connections to metaphysical healing practices. The paper highlights the need for further analysis of the distinction between shamanic practices that are learned and those that are inherited.

    Heal Thyself · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigating the long-term effects of psychedelic use on mental health, - Examining the relationship between psychedelic use and PTSD symptoms in a larger, more representative sample, - Developing effective interventions for individuals experiencing PTSD symptoms after psychedelic use

    Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms following psychedelic use: a naturalistic survey study · 2026 · DOI

  • Prior studies have primarily focused on assessing a broad set of psychopathological symptoms without employing a classificatory diagnostic approach. There is a lack of research on the relationship between psychedelic use and PTSD symptoms using a diagnostic approach.

    Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms following psychedelic use: a naturalistic survey study · 2026 · DOI

  • The complexity of causal relationships in psychiatric disorders makes treatment challenging. The non-linear causal dynamics of psychiatric disorders are difficult to address. The paper identifies the need to integrate biological and environmental factors in mental health as a challenge.

    Permissive and instructive causality: integrating biological and environmental factors in mental health · 2026 · DOI

  • The need to balance the therapeutic potential of psilocybin with its hallucinogenic activity. The challenge of identifying a subperceptual dose of psilocybin that can be safely administered without in-clinic supervision. The difficulty of measuring the effects of low-dose psilocybin on psychophysiological responses, cognitive performance, and state anxiety.

    A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Single-Ascending-Dose Study to Identify a Subperceptual Dose of Psilocybin in Healthy Adults · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigate the effects of psilocybin on patients with psychiatric disorders. Examine the long-term effects of psilocybin administration. Explore the potential therapeutic applications of sub-hallucinogenic psilocybin doses.

    A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Single-Ascending-Dose Study to Identify a Subperceptual Dose of Psilocybin in Healthy Adults · 2026 · DOI

  • The challenge of understanding the complex effects of psychedelic compounds on the brain and behavior. The difficulty of translating findings from animal models to humans. The need to develop effective and safe therapeutic protocols using psilocybin and ethocybin.

    Acute psilocybin or ethocybin leads to a sustained increase in Pavlovian aversion memory in male mice · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigate the effects of PSY and ETH in female mice, - Investigate the long-term effects of PSY and ETH, - Examine the potential therapeutic benefits of PSY and ETH for stress-related psychiatric disorders

    Acute psilocybin or ethocybin leads to a sustained increase in Pavlovian aversion memory in male mice · 2026 · DOI

  • head-to-head trials of PAT, with different randomized conditions corresponding with differing theoretical orientations or differing quantities of psychotherapy, - survey patients and consumers who are potentially interested in PAT

    Psychedelics assisting therapy, or therapy assisting psychedelics? The importance of psychotherapy in psychedelic-assisted therapy · 2025 · DOI

  • There is limited evidence regarding the interaction of the modality of psychotherapy on the clinical impact of psychedelic-assisted therapy. The type of therapy that should be employed in psychedelic-assisted therapy is unclear. The paper identifies a gap in the research on the role of psychotherapy in psychedelic-assisted therapy.

    Psychedelics assisting therapy, or therapy assisting psychedelics? The importance of psychotherapy in psychedelic-assisted therapy · 2025 · DOI

  • Future research should further validate the PAEQ and explore causal mechanisms using longitudinal and experimental designs - Future research should focus on refining and validating the scale and its factor structure

    Aesthetic quality of psychedelic experience is linked to insight and psychological outcomes · 2025 · DOI

  • Investigating the effects of psychedelic use in controlled settings, - Examining the relationship between psychedelic use and psychiatric history, - Studying the impact of psychedelic use on vulnerable populations

    Longitudinal associations of naturalistic psychedelic use with psychotic and manic symptoms · 2025 · DOI

  • Less is known about the risks associated with psychedelic use outside of medically supervised contexts. Prior studies have primarily focused on the effects of psychedelics in controlled settings, excluding populations that are typically vulnerable to adverse effects.

    Longitudinal associations of naturalistic psychedelic use with psychotic and manic symptoms · 2025 · DOI

  • Ensuring the safety and well-being of patients in psychedelic therapy is a fundamental ethical concern. The intense nature of the experiences facilitated by psychedelics causes additional risks and requires clear guidelines regarding professional ethics. Equity and access concerns are paramount in ensuring that vulnerable populations are not 'left behind' in the current and future provision of psychedelic-assisted therapies.

    Ethical issues with psychedelic-assisted treatments in psychiatry: A systematic scoping review · 2025 · DOI

  • The challenge of treating music as an active variable whose inclusion requires empirical justification. The challenge of designing clinically testable questions and randomized trials to inform more effective treatment models. The challenge of balancing the need for a supportive therapeutic environment with the risk of introducing external emotional content that may obscure the patient's natural psychological flow.

    Psychedelic minimalism: the case against music in psychedelic therapy settings · 2025 · DOI

  • Clinically testable questions, such as whether music fosters emotional insight or deflects it, - Randomized trials, and neurophenomenological studies, and long-term follow-ups comparing different settings could clarify whether music enhances or interferes with therapeutic goals

    Psychedelic minimalism: the case against music in psychedelic therapy settings · 2025 · DOI

  • There is a lack of qualitative studies examining the subjective effects of psychedelic use in people with a history of non-affective psychotic disorders. Prior studies have explored the impact of naturalistic psychedelic use on people with a history of psychotic disorders, but have not used semi-structured interviews to examine subjective effects.

    How do psychedelics impact people with a history of non-affective psychosis? A qualitative study · 2025 · DOI

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305 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 1,073 Psychedelics and Drug Studies papers in our 4.5M-paper local library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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