Call for Evidence-Based Psychedelic Integration
About the study
This study addresses the growing interest and use of psychedelics in various settings, including clinical trials, therapies, and personal use. The authors emphasize the importance of developing and validating models and methods for psychedelic integration practices that help users of psychedelics to process and integrate their experiences into their daily lives. Recognized as a crucial part of psychedelic-assisted therapy, psychedelic integration involves practices that either minimize harms or maximize benefits associated with psychedelic use.
The authors stress the public health importance of psychedelic integration, given the increasing use of psychedelics and their integration into healthcare systems. Evidence-based psychedelic integration models could inform clinicians and improve health and well-being outcomes. They suggest various research approaches, including developing a consensus definition of psychedelic integration, secondary analysis of existing data, exploratory qualitative studies, populational surveys, and extension of clinical trial designs to include psychedelic integration models/methods.
The paper concludes that while research on psychedelics is maturing, the study of psychedelic integration is still in its infancy and requires more focus to benefit individuals who use psychedelics in various contexts. The paper is a call to action for more rigorous research to develop and validate models of psychedelic integration, highlighting its importance in the context of increasing psychedelic use in therapeutic and personal settings.
Abstract
The use of psychedelics for various purposes was common in different civilizations throughout human history and has been explored scientifically for more than a century. Although the applications of psychedelics show promise in the treatment of various psychiatric and neurological indications, as well as in facilitation of well-being and personal growth, several psychedelic-related risks and challenges have also been identified. Psychedelic integration (PI) refers to various practices that serve to either minimize harms or maximize benefits associated with psychedelic use. PI is also recognized as a substantial part of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT), following preparation to and facilitation of the psychedelic experience. In the context of clinical/psychotherapeutic practice, several PI models/methods have already been proposed. However, while a number of these models/methods are theory-driven, or have a history of clinical application, each lack any empirical support and thus cannot be described as evidence based. This is to the disadvantage to countless people who had and who will have their psychedelic experiences in various contexts, as the prevalence of using psychedelics increased in recent years and is expected to grow further. Therefore, consistent with general recommendations for developing and implementing evidence-based mental health practices, this article calls for scientific efforts to the development, examination, and evaluation of psychedelic integration models/methods. This article also briefly summarizes the current literature on psychedelic integration, provides a list of exemplary avenues that research on psychedelic integration might take, as well as anticipates and discusses the limitations and challenges of PI-focused research.
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