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Healthcare
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Psychedelic Therapy in Palliative Care
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Psychedelic Therapy in Palliative Care

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 4 July 2026 | Viewed by 4860

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Alessandro Gonçalves Campolina

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo, ICESP, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 01246-000, Brazil
Interests: health; quality of life; longevity; chronic disease; technical assessment of cancer; health technology assessment
Dr. Rossana Verónica Mendoza López

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo, ICESP, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 01246-000, Brazil
Interests: health; epidemiology; bioestatistics; systematic reviews; technical assessment of cancer

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Advanced, progressive, and incurable diseases represent significant changes in a person’s physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being. Some may experience personal growth, while others struggle with anxiety, depression, or existential distress. Unfortunately, treatments for these conditions in terminally ill patients remain uncertain. Antidepressants show inconsistent results, and psychotherapies addressing existential distress offer temporary relief but do not consistently reduce depression or anxiety.

In response, psychedelics have emerged as a potential treatment for unmet needs in palliative care. Early studies suggested psychedelics could improve mood, reduce pain, and foster a more positive outlook on death. Although research was halted in the late 1960s, recent studies on substances like LSD, psilocybin, and ketamine show promising results.

In this context, we invite contributions from all palliative care-related disciplines to support the development of psychedelic medicine for end-of-life care.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of existing psychedelic therapies in palliative care.
  • Clinical studies on the safety and efficacy of psychedelics for palliative care.
  • Comparative studies of different psychedelic clinical approaches.
  • Implementation science studies of existing psychedelic therapy models for palliative care.
  • Health Economic Evaluations of psychedelic therapy for patients under palliative care.
  • Case report of psychedelic use in the clinical setting.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Alessandro Gonçalves Campolina
Dr. Rossana Verónica Mendoza López
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • anxiety
  • depression
  • existential distress
  • demoralization
  • spiritual suffering
  • life-threatening disease
  • palliative care
  • psychedelics
  • psychedelic therapy
  • psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 668 KB  
Article
Supporting Meaningful Choices: A Decision Aid for Individuals Facing Existential Distress and Considering Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy
by Ariane Bélanger, Sue-Ling Chang, Jean-François Stephan, Florence Moureaux, Diane Tapp, Robert Foxman, Pierre Gagnon, Johanne Hébert, Houman Farzin and Michel Dorval
Healthcare 2025, 13(18), 2290; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13182290 - 12 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1716
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Given the limitations of traditional approaches to treating existential distress in seriously ill patients, psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) has emerged as a promising treatment option. However, weighing up the potential risks and benefits of this approach can be challenging for both healthcare [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Given the limitations of traditional approaches to treating existential distress in seriously ill patients, psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) has emerged as a promising treatment option. However, weighing up the potential risks and benefits of this approach can be challenging for both healthcare professionals and patients. Decision aids can play a key role in supporting shared decision making by clarifying options, improving knowledge, and enhancing decision quality. To date, there is no decision aid specific to PAT. This descriptive study aimed to develop a decision aid for individuals considering this therapy. Methods: A paper-based/electronic decision aid was developed with a multidisciplinary steering committee following the International Patient Decision Aids Standards Collaboration (IPDAS). Development included conducting a literature review and prototype design, evaluating acceptability and usability by potential users (i.e., patients and healthcare professionals), and producing a final version. Questionnaires, direct feedback, and semi-structured interviews with potential users allowed for evaluation and refinement of design and content. Results: The final version of the decision aid is presented as a booklet, covering areas such as PAT education, comparison of treatment options, and personal reflection. Feedback from patients (n = 5) and healthcare professionals (n = 5) guided improvements, helping clarify content, ensuring balanced information, optimizing its length for usability, and providing decision-making support. Conclusions: The decision aid developed in this study demonstrated satisfactory acceptability and usability, meeting IPDAS criteria. By providing balanced and accessible information, it may facilitate shared decision-making for individuals considering PAT, representing a significant step forward in this emerging area of palliative care. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychedelic Therapy in Palliative Care)
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18 pages, 271 KB  
Article
Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in Palliative Care—Insights from an International Workshop
by Anna Schuldt, Ian C. Clark, Yasmin Schmid, Michael Ljuslin, Christopher Boehlke, Sivan Schipper, Megan B. Sands and David Blum
Healthcare 2025, 13(18), 2275; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13182275 - 12 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1454
Abstract
Background: Evidence is growing that psychedelic substances have positive effects in the setting of Palliative Care (PC), focusing on special needs in this patient population. After a scoping review of the literature, no published expert recommendations guiding best practice for psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) [...] Read more.
Background: Evidence is growing that psychedelic substances have positive effects in the setting of Palliative Care (PC), focusing on special needs in this patient population. After a scoping review of the literature, no published expert recommendations guiding best practice for psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) towards the end of life were identified. Objective: To draw conclusions from first-hand experienced professionals on PAT in PC (PATPC). Setting, Design, Participants: An international workshop with experts was held in Wasserfallen, Switzerland. A thematic analysis of a semi-structured, questionnaire-based qualitative study with 13 experts in PC, oncology, psychiatry/psychology, and PAT from Europe, the United States, and Oceania was made. Measurements: The questionnaire was designed to elicit the participant’s perspectives on (A) special considerations on PATPC, (B) specific characteristics of PATPC (versus mental illness), and (C) the relevance of these differences during preparation, substance dosing session, and integration in PATPC. Results: (A) Special Considerations included (non-medicalized) setting, potential need, and possibility to reduce preparation time. (B) Distinguishing characteristics included the patient’s intrinsic motivation for treatment success, the importance of anxiety, depression, and spiritual distress as indications for PATPC, and the importance of sufficient integration of the psychedelic experience into life in the face of limited time due to the life-limiting illness. (C) Flexibility in setting and timing of preparation, choosing the appropriate dosage of the psychedelic substance depending on the patient’s intended focus, low/medium (relational issues), higher for transcendental experiences, considering mental capacity and vulnerability for the individual. In addition, respondents noted that for therapists, knowledge about transcendental states, such as mystical experiences, existential aspects of life-threatening illness, and the role of therapists’ own self-experience/inner work, as well as good knowledge of the theoretical basis for treatment, was highlighted. Conclusions: This study highlights special considerations for PAT PC and could be a first step towards specific treatment recommendations (guidelines) for PATPC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychedelic Therapy in Palliative Care)

Review

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21 pages, 642 KB  
Review
Unfolding States of Mind: A Dissociative-Psychedelic Model of Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy in Palliative Care
by Alessandro Gonçalves Campolina and Marco Aurélio Tuena de Oliveira
Healthcare 2025, 13(21), 2714; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13212714 - 27 Oct 2025
Viewed by 1069
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Patients in palliative care often experience multifaceted forms of suffering that extend beyond physical symptoms, including existential distress, loss of meaning, and emotional pain. Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) has emerged as a promising intervention for alleviating such complex forms of suffering, yet [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Patients in palliative care often experience multifaceted forms of suffering that extend beyond physical symptoms, including existential distress, loss of meaning, and emotional pain. Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) has emerged as a promising intervention for alleviating such complex forms of suffering, yet models specifically tailored to palliative populations remain scarce. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence on ketamine’s neurobiological, psychological, and experiential effects relevant to end-of-life care, and presents a novel, time-limited KAP model designed for use in palliative settings. Methods: Drawing from both biochemical and psychedelic paradigms, the review integrates findings from neuroscience, phenomenology, and clinical practice. In particular, it incorporates a dual-level experiential framework informed by recent models distinguishing ketamine’s differential effects on self-processing networks: the Salience Network (SN), related to embodied self-awareness, and the Default Mode Network (DMN), associated with narrative self-construction. This neurophenomenological perspective underpins the rationale for using two distinct dosing sessions. Results: The article proposes a short-course, time-limited KAP model that integrates preparatory and integrative psychotherapy, two ketamine dosing sessions (one low-dose and one moderate-dose), concurrent psychotherapy, goals of care discussion (GOCD), and optional pharmacological optimization. The model emphasizes psychological safety, meaning-making, and patient-centered care. The sequential dosing strategy leverages ketamine’s unique pharmacology and experiential profile to address both bodily and narrative dimensions of end-of-life distress. Conclusions: This dissociative-psychedelic model offers a compassionate, pragmatic, and theoretically grounded approach to relieving psychological and existential suffering in palliative care. By integrating neurobiological insights with psychotherapeutic processes, it provides a flexible and patient-centered framework for enhancing meaning, emotional resolution, and quality of life at the end of life. Further research is needed to evaluate its clinical feasibility, safety, and therapeutic efficacy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychedelic Therapy in Palliative Care)
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