What psychedelics have actually been shown to treat, and how sure science is. We track 12 substances across 16 mental and physical health conditions, from approved medicine to “no good evidence”, with a source behind every claim.
Last reviewed 23 October 2026Re-checked every month
Overview
Each row is a substance: see which conditions it has been tested for, and how far that research has got.
Each row is a condition: see which substances have been tested for it, and what the trials found.
In the table:Approved therapyUsed off-labelLate-stage trials · positive resultsLate-stage trials · in progressEarly researchLittle or no evidence· not studied yet
Tap any coloured cell for the short verdict and links to both cards. Hover a label above to see what it means.
Substances
In order of evidence strength: approved therapies first, then off-label use, then late-stage trials with positive results, and so on down. Each card shows what it has been tested for, what’s established and what isn’t. A sign next to a finding means it relies on a study published before 2015, so treat it as background rather than the latest word.
Esketamine (Spravato)
Dissociative
✓Approved treatment for treatment-resistant depression (US, EU) and for depression with acute suicidal thoughts (US; short-term emergency use in the EU).
Where research stands, by condition
Suicidal thoughtsApproved therapy
Treatment-resistant depressionApproved therapy
✓ Proven
Approved for treatment-resistant depression in the US and EU since 2019.12
Staying on it roughly halves the risk of relapse compared with stopping.3
More people reached remission than with quetiapine, a standard add-on.4
? Not proven
That it reduces suicidality itself: trials showed faster relief from depression, not fewer suicidal thoughts than placebo.56
Any use outside depression: it isn't licensed for anything else.2
Which substances have been tested for each condition, and how far the research has got.
Major depressive disorder (MDD)
Major depressive disorder (MDD): persistent low mood and loss of interest lasting at least two weeks and getting in the way of daily life. Trials here enrolled people with MDD whose depression was not classed as treatment-resistant.
Migraine (recurring, often one-sided headaches with nausea or sensitivity to light) and cluster headache (short, extremely painful attacks around one eye that come in bouts). These are the only headache types with published psychedelic trials so far.
Our starting point is the States of Mind research database. We reviewed all 533 papers on psychedelics collected there, published between 1976 and 2026, and checked each one against the tracker. We also check trial registries and regulators for anything published since. Then we go back to each original paper, registry entry or official announcement.
What counts as a source
Peer-reviewed journal papers, official company press releases (for trial status and topline results only), regulators and government bodies (FDA, EMA, TGA, MHRA, Health Canada and national agencies), and trial registries. News articles, blogs and preprints don’t count. Every source is labelled by type, so you can see when a result is company-reported and not yet peer-reviewed.
How we check it
Every number is checked against the original document. No source, no fact: if we can’t link a claim to where it comes from, we don’t publish it. Every result or conclusion published more than 10 years ago, and so possibly out of date, is marked with its own icon:
How we rate it
One fixed scale, from approved medicine to no good evidence: the same five labels you see in the table and filters above. We separate a Phase 3 trial with positive results from one that is still running, because they mean very different things. The tracker is re-checked every month.
Approved therapyUsed off-labelLate-stage trials · positive resultsLate-stage trials · in progressEarly researchEarly researchLittle or no evidence
Use and cite the data
Journalists and researchers can download everything behind the tracker: every verdict, fact and source. The files are updated with each monthly re-check. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: please credit States of Mind and link to the tracker.
States of Mind. Psychedelic Evidence Tracker. Last reviewed 23 October 2026. https://statesofmind.com/psychedelic-evidence-tracker/
Frequently asked questions
What is psychedelic-assisted therapy?
A psychedelic is given in a supervised session, with preparation sessions before and talking therapy afterwards to make sense of the experience, as in the psilocybin and MDMA trials. In trials, the drug is never handed over to take at home: every dose is given in a clinic, with trained staff present.
Does psilocybin therapy work for depression?
For treatment-resistant depression, twoPhase 3 trials found one or two doses of psilocybin worked better than placebo or a very low dose. The average effect is modest, and not everyone responds, but for people who do, it can last six months or more. Against a standard antidepressant, psilocybin hasn't been shown to be better yet.
Is psilocybin therapy legal?
Psilocybin isn't an approved medicine anywhere yet. Australia lets authorised psychiatrists prescribe it for treatment-resistant depression, and in the US, Compass expects to complete its FDA application by the end of 2026. Laws differ a lot by country. Check where you live on our Psychedelic Therapy Legality Map.
Is MDMA therapy approved for PTSD?
Not yet. It worked better than placebo in twoPhase 3 trials, but the FDA turned it down in 2024, citing gaps in safety reporting and durability. In 2026 the application went back to the FDA without a new trial, according to MAPS. Australia allows authorised psychiatrists to prescribe it for PTSD.
What's the difference between ketamine and Spravato?
Spravato is esketamine, one half of the ketamine molecule, given as a nasal spray. It's an approved medicine for treatment-resistant depression in the US and the EU. Ketamine infusions are prescribed off-label, which is legal but means the drug isn't licensed for depression. In the US, Spravato is only given in certified clinics, with at least two hours of monitoring afterwards.
Can LSD treat anxiety?
A single supervised dose of an LSD tablet (DT120) reduced generalised anxiety more than placebo in twoPhase 3 trials in 2026. It isn't approved yet. The developer plans to apply to the FDA in the first half of 2027.
Does microdosing work?
The best test so far says no, at least for ADHD. In a placebo-controlled trial, LSD microdoses did no better than placebo, and people who believed they were on LSD improved more.
Even in carefully run trials, people can have very difficult sessions, and suicidal thoughts were reported in all dose groups of a large psilocybin trial. Outside trials, some people report difficulties that last for months. Specific substances carry specific risks: heart-rhythm problems with ibogaine, and bladder damage with frequent ketamine use.
Sources
Numbered in the order they appear above. We only use peer-reviewed papers, official company announcements (for trial status and topline results), regulators and trial registries.
