Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41388888›Full record

SynthesisJournal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)2026

Predictors of therapeutic response to psychedelic-assisted therapy: A systematic review.

Grace Viljoen, Henrik Walter, Antonia Bendau, Michael Koslowski, Felix Betzler

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Grace ViljoenCharité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences CCM, Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0009-0005-6360-6856
Henrik WalterCharité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences CCM, Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-9403-6121
Antonia BendauCharité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences CCM, Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-3789-6205
Michael KoslowskiCharité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences CCM, Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-8798-9875
Felix BetzlerCharité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences CCM, Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-1389-4870

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPsychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) has demonstrated substantial efficacy across a range of mental disorders. However, heterogeneity between patients confers differential responsiveness. This systematic review aims to explore factors which may predict therapeutic responses to PAT.

methodsA systematic search was performed from inception through to March 2024 and studies that assessed predictors of response related to the use of classic psychedelics for mental disorders were included.

resultsA total of 54 studies investigating potential predictors of treatment response to psychedelic-assisted therapy were included in the review. These studies encompassed adult populations diagnosed with substance-use disorders, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and existential distress related to life-threatening illness as well as naturalistic samples reporting psychopathological symptoms without a formally confirmed diagnosis. The most frequently reported predictor of therapeutic response was the intensity of the acute psychedelic experience, particularly mystical-type experiences (MTEs), though this was not consistent across all disorders or time points. Factors related to set, setting and dose were frequently associated with the likelihood and intensity of MTEs.

conclusionsThe acute psychedelic experience, especially MTEs, was the most frequently reported predictor of therapeutic response. Future trials should explore a broader range of predictors, include longer-term follow-up and improve methodological consistency to strengthen the evidence base for reliable predictors of therapeutic response.

Indexed as

HallucinogensMental DisordersHumansMysticismTreatment OutcomeHallucinogensaddictive disordersdepressionpsilocybinpsychedelicspsychiatric disorders

Identifiers

PMID41388888
PMCPMC13310303

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.