“They could be in the raptures of hell…” Exploring Therapist Perceptions of Distress in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy

Despite the growing interest in investigating the safety and efficacy of psychedelic-assisted therapy for addressing psychological and substance misuse challenges, there is a gap in research regarding the potential impact of sex/gender on treatment outcomes. A systematic review of existing psychedelic studies was conducted to assess variations in treatment outcomes based on sex/gender and to examine potential methodological barriers hindering the exploration of these differences. Out of the 13 studies meeting the comprehensive review criteria, six studies explored variations in outcomes, yielding mixed results. The most prevalent design limitation hindering the effective exploration of outcome differences was unbalanced sampling. The influence of sex/gender on treatment outcomes in psychedelic-assisted therapy remains an underexplored aspect of research. Addressing this crucial question necessitates a focus on refining research design and implementation strategies.