Ethical guidelines for the research and innovation of psychedelic assisted therapies: A scoping review

There has been an explosion in research on psychedelic drugs in recent years, including clinical trials of psilocybin and MDMA (ecstasy) for the treatment of a range of mental and neurological disorders (e.g. depression, anxiety, addiction, PTSD, autism and Alzheimer's). Despite this surge in research, there has been surprising little examination of the unique ethical issues that studies involving the consumption of psychedelic drugs. These include: obtaining informed consent to an experience that is difficult to communicate and understand, the use of therapeutic touch by trial therapists while in a state of disordered consciousness, equitable access to research trials and treatment, diverse representation within research teams and study participants, post trial care, and just recognition, respect and reparation in the use of Indigenous knowledge. This project will conduct a scoping review to identify ethical issues and guidance discussed in the literature, highlighting areas requiring greater consideration. The aim of the project will be to develop a set of ethical guidelines for the responsible research and innovation of psychedelic therapies.