Adverse events in clinical treatments with serotonergic psychedelics and MDMA: A mixed-methods systematic review
Summary & key facts
Researchers reviewed studies of drugs that act on serotonin (so-called serotonergic psychedelics) and MDMA. They found that harms and bad reactions are not clearly defined in these studies and are probably reported less often than they actually happen. Some intense or frightening experiences during treatment might help people heal, but we need better and more consistent ways to record side effects to understand when these experiences are helpful and when they are harmful.
- The paper looked at clinical studies of drugs that affect serotonin, including MDMA and classic psychedelics.
- The reviewers found that harms and bad reactions were often not clearly defined or tracked in the studies.
- Because many studies did not use systematic checks for side effects and often picked participants carefully, the number of harms is probably underreported.
- Some acute challenging or difficult experiences during psychedelic sessions may have therapeutic value, meaning they might help with treatment in some cases.
- The authors conclude that to understand safety and risks better, future studies must use detailed and standard reporting of adverse events.
Abstract
AEs are poorly defined in the context of psychedelic treatments and are probably underreported in the literature due to study design (lack of systematic assessment of AEs) and sample selection. Acute challenging experiences may be therapeutically meaningful, but a better understanding of AEs in the context of psychedelic treatments requires systematic and detailed reporting.