Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: The Emerging Role of the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse

Background: Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is experiencing a resurgence, with expanding evidence proving its efficacy for treatment-resistant psychiatric-mental health conditions. Psychiatric-mental health nurses (PMHNs) are uniquely positioned to provide PAT due to their integrated care capabilities, yet their roles are poorly defined. Aim: This review synthesizes PAT's clinical applications, mechanisms, and issues, focusing on PMHNs' preparation, dosing, and integration roles, while proposing training and policy guidelines to enhance their involvement. Methods: A systematic search of peer-reviewed literature, clinical trials, meta-analyses, and nursing scholarship was conducted. The databases of PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL were used to conduct searches for 2000-2025 studies related to the use of psilocybin, MDMA, and LSD. Results: PAT has robust effectiveness for depression, PTSD, substance use disorders, and end-of-life distress with effect sizes of 0.7-1.2. PMHNs enter safety and outcomes through trust building, monitoring, and integration, but only lead 5% of trials. Legal barriers, lack of funding, and inequities persist. Conclusion: PMHNs are the key to equitable adoption of PAT, requiring greater training, research leadership, and policy leverage to achieve maximum benefit.