Promising but Not Conclusive: Psychedelic Treatment for Mental Health Disorders
by Emma Fitzgerald
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression frequently emerge alongside serious physical illnesses, including cancer, yet these psychological effects are often underrecognized and undertreated. This paper examines the potential role of psychedelic-assisted therapy as an emerging treatment approach for psychological distress experienced by patients coping with life-altering medical diagnoses. Drawing on clinical research, expert interviews, and recent policy developments, this research evaluates both the therapeutic promises and the limitations of psychedelic compounds such as psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide. Existing studies suggest that these substances may reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety when administered in controlled clinical settings alongside psychotherapy, potentially by altering serotonin signaling and increasing neural plasticity. However, much of the current evidence remains preliminary, with many findings based on small clinical trials or correlational data. In addition, legal restrictions and regulatory barriers continue to shape the pace at which these therapies can be studied and implemented. While psychedelic-assisted therapy shows promising potential as a treatment for psychological distress, particularly among patients facing serious illnesses such as cancer, current evidence remains inconclusive and highlights the need for further rigorous clinical research.
Psychedelics, Cancer, Mental Health, Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
A broken bone earns a cast and compassion; a broken spirit lingers behind hospital walls, unnoticed and untreated. Physical ailments are visible and socially recognized, while mental suffering remains invisible and dismissed as uncommon. It is vital to discredit the myth that mental health issues are ‘uncommon’. Tracy Palmquist, COO of Addiction Services, Recovery at Alberta Hospital Edmonton, explains “mental illness is also intricately impacted by physical illness…we see both, and it’s easy to see a physical illness in front of us, but it’s often, not as easy to see someone who’s struggling with anxiety and depression” (Mental, 2024). Her statement emphasizes how invisible mental health struggles can be, even when they are just as serious as physical ones. Yet despite how easily these struggles go unseen, they carry profound weight, especially for patients facing life-altering diagnoses such as cancer. As clinicians search for ways to support the emotional well-being of these patients, emerging therapies such as psychedelic-assisted treatment have started to gain attention for their potential to alleviate psychological distress. These treatments aim to reduce anxiety and depression and offer a promising new avenue for improving the overall treatment experience for cancer patients.
According to the World Health Organization, one in every eight people, or 970 million people around the world, are living with a mental disorder (World Health Organization, 2022). At the same time, the International Agency for Research on Cancer estimates that one in five people will develop cancer in their lifetime (World Health Organization, 2022). Together, these statistics illustrate the significant overlap between serious physical illness and psychological distress. For many patients, the experience of receiving a cancer diagnosis or undergoing aggressive treatment can trigger or intensify mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression (Fereidouni et al., 2024). As a result, cancer is not merely a physiological condition, but one that frequently produces secondary psychological complications requiring medical attention and extending its impact to patients, their families, and caregivers (Fereidouni et al., 2024). This relationship highlights the need for therapies that address both the physical and psychological burdens of disease, including emerging approaches such as psychedelic-assisted therapy.
Specifically, receiving a cancer diagnosis often triggers intense emotional responses, including fear, anxiety, and uncertainty about the future, all of which are extremely common (Fereidouni et al., 2024). However, depression, anxiety, and cancer share overlapping symptoms like fatigue, sleep disturbances, and decreased appetite, which can make recognizing mental health conditions increasingly difficult in oncological settings (Die Trill, 2013). Often, anxiety increases as the disease progresses or as treatment becomes more aggressive (Die Trill, 2013). This heightened anxiety may contribute to an overestimation of adverse effects and may interfere with cancer treatment decisions, reducing a patient’s ability to cope with the disease, and negatively impacting adherence to treatment protocols (Die Trill, 2013). If left unaddressed, persistent anxiety can evolve into depression, indicating the need to address both conditions in therapeutic treatment (National, 2025). The relationship between mood, mental well-being, and cancer progression has been highly discussed, with many clinicians and patients believing psychological factors may influence disease outcomes (Fereidouni et al., 2024). The significant role of mental health may influence the overall effectiveness of cancer treatment, as anxiety and depression have been associated with lowering adherence to therapy, impairing quality of life, and weakening immune response (Fereidouni et al., 2024). Revealing these psychological obstacles is essential not only for emotional well-being but also for treatment to improve the clinical results of cancer cases. While numerous studies may suggest strong associations between psychological distress and cancer outcomes, many of these findings are correlational and should be interpreted cautiously when considering population-level conclusions (Miller et al., 2025).
Emerging therapies such as psychedelics aim to alleviate psychological distress and offer promising potential to support cancer patients’ mental state. Among these, psilocybin, the active compound found in Psilocybe mushrooms (“magic mushrooms”), has demonstrated significant antidepressant effects (Agrawal et al., 2025). When administered in combination with psychotherapy, psilocybin has shown potential as an alternative to traditional antidepressant medications, offering a new avenue for patients whose mental health has been affected by the emotional toll of cancer (Agrawal et al., 2025). Aura Morris, LCSW at The Brannen Center, focuses on experiential and somatic-focused therapy, mind-body trauma healing, with clients struggling with trauma, grief, anxiety, and depression. While she does not directly use psilocybin-assisted therapy, since it is not yet legal, she does utilize another psychedelic therapy, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP). Morris reported that KAP has shown remarkable short-term benefits, with patients often reporting improvements in mood, perspective, and overall mental health within one to four days of treatment (A. Morris, personal communication, October 7, 2025). She described her patients’ experiences as “deeply introspective and emotionally liberating” (A. Morris, personal communication, October 7, 2025).
Psychedelic drugs primarily influence the way the brain processes the chemical serotonin, typically bringing on vivid visions that can affect a person’s sense of self (Johnson et al., 2019). According to a 2025 clinical trial, psilocybin has been characterized as a “breakthrough therapy” to treat major depressive disorder, claiming that a single controlled dose of psilocybin has produced long-term improvements in mood and emotional wellbeing lasting up to two years for a substantial portion of patients with cancer (Agrawal et al., 2025). Specifically, 53.6% of twenty-eight participants exhibited a significant reduction in depression after a single 25-mg dose of psilocybin combined with psychotherapy (Agrawal et al., 2025). The trial demonstrated the efficacy of a single dose of psilocybin combined with psychological support for relief of depression and anxiety lasting up to 24 months (Agrawal et al., 2025).
Psychedelic therapy incorporates controlled use, meaning the substance is administered under strictly regulated supervised conditions, to alter the state of consciousness by temporarily shifting in normal awareness and perception (Meisner, 2025). The goal is to work towards opening the mind to deep emotional processing and personal growth (Meisner, 2025). Psychedelics promote neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to reorganize and form new neural pathways, which can lead to improved mental health outcomes (Meisner, 2025). A study performed by Dr. Joshua Siegel used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure the effect of a controlled dose of psilocybin on the cerebral cortex, thalamus, hippocampus, and cerebellum (Doctrow, 2024). Siegel’s research indicates that psilocybin causes activity within the brain to become less synchronized and affects the default mode network which includes the medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, and inferior parietal lobule (Doctrow, 2024). These brain regions are involved in self-referential thinking and introspection to promote flexibility in thought patterns and facilitate more adaptive ways of thinking and behaving (Doctrow, 2024). Beyond psilocybin providing an organic introspective feeling, other psychedelics such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) have caught the attention of researchers for their ability to produce stronger sensory distortions by binding to specific brain cell receptors and changing how the brain responds to serotonin (de Quevedo, 2024). These neurological effects may help explain why psychedelic-assisted therapies are being explored as potential treatments for depression and anxiety in patients coping with cancer. While recreational use of LSD is illegal, controlled dosage injected in clinical settings has indicated promise (de Quevedo, 2024).
Therapeutic psychedelic research is advancing steadily due to its safety reassurance in highly controlled clinical trial settings (Barnett, 2023). Numerous biotechnology companies are developing psychedelics as medication due to 81% of psychiatrists, in a 2023 national survey, agreeing psychedelics show promise in treating psychiatric conditions, and over half are planning to incorporate them into their practices upon FDA approval (Barnett, 2023). As clinical data and professional support continue to surge, these developments are influencing broader conversations surrounding the legal classification, ethical use, and potential integration of psychedelics into mainstream medical and mental health care.
Despite a longstanding ban on psychedelics dating back to the 1960s and 1970s, scientific, clinical, and public curiosity has sparked interest in legalization of these substances. However, most psychedelics, like psilocybin and LSD, are Schedule I controlled substances which have a high potential for abuse and addiction, not currently accepted medical use, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision (de Quevedo, 2024). Dr. W. Keith Campbell, American social psychologist, claims, “I don’t know anyone who got addicted to a psychedelic… people will overuse it, but it doesn’t seem to be as much of a craving drug” (W. Campbell, personal communication, October 2, 2025). Psychedelic compounds like psilocybin, LSD, and 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) are increasingly studied in clinical trials aimed at treating mood and anxiety, while moving away from this addictive stereotype.
In 2024, the US Food and Drug Administration, FDA, granted breakthrough therapy designation to an LSD-based treatment for generalized anxiety disorder, signaling growing institutional recognition of psychedelic-assisted therapy (de Quevedo, 2024). Yet as this shift accelerates, Dr. Campbell’s analysis underscores why careful evaluation remains essential: outcomes are not uniform. As he explains psychedelic use as “it’s been helpful for a majority, destabilizing for a small minority, and then another small minority has no effect on at all” (W. Campbell, personal communication, October 2, 2025). His observation illustrates the need for both enthusiasm and caution as these therapies move closer to mainstream clinical practice as a secondary treatment for the mental health of cancer patients.
However, while interest in psychedelics arises, social media platforms face content moderation and censorship when posting about substances, limiting open discussion about the potential benefits to treating mental disorders. Platforms remove or shadow-ban content involving psychedelics to comply with federal law and avoid liability (Thomas, 2023). Because psychedelics are still classified as controlled substances, social media platforms often censor or restrict posts about them, which restricts the public’s ability to engage with new research and informed conversations about their therapeutic potential (Thomas, 2023).
While certain psychedelics are federally controlled, several states and the District of Columbia have decriminalized possession of psilocybin, ayahuasca, and mescaline (Thomas, 2023). Recent actions by the executive branch, including public endorsements and regulatory push from key officials, signal that the US is pushing closer to legalizing psychedelics for medical use (Perrone, 2025). As of July 2025, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pushed for psychedelic therapies to be clinically approved within a year (Perrone, 2025). In addition, President Donald Trump nominated Dr. Casey Means for the US Surgeon General, who greatly promotes psilocybin-assisted therapy (Edwards, 2025). As the Trump administration becomes the most pro-psychedelic presidency in American history, the promotion of psychedelic medicine has surged (Marseille, 2025). These policy developments may significantly influence the future accessibility of psychedelic-assisted therapies, particularly for patients seeking new treatments for conditions such as cancer-related anxiety and depression (Marseille, 2025).
As the government support expands, the pipeline of clinical trials grows exponentially. Market analysts estimate the U.S. psychedelic therapeutics industry could surpass $6.85 billion by 2027, attracting significant attention from investors and biotechnology firms (The Project, 2024). The executive branch’s active involvement in shaping national psychedelic policy signals not only a potential federal shift towards legalization but also an influx in social conversation, and a promising but not conclusive treatment for the mental wellbeing of cancer patients.
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Acknowledgements: To Emma’s 4200W professor, Dr. Holly Gallagher
Citation Style: APA