Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (Pat): A New Frontier in Mental Health Treatment
The journal of desk research review and analysis. December 16, 2025 M. H. M. Wickramasekara, G. D. M. C. Gonapaladeniya
Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is a promising new approach for treating depression, PTSD, and substance use disorders. This review describes how psychedelics like psilocybin, MDMA, LSD, and ketamine work, their therapeutic uses, clinical evidence, and ethical issues. It highlights findings from recent trials (2020–2024), discusses safety and regulation debates, and notes that older adults are an underexplored population. The paper synthesizes current evidence and identifies gaps and future research priorities.