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Psychedelics for OCD: what the evidence shows

Unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repeated actions or rituals (compulsions) that are hard to resist.

Last reviewed 23 October 2026Re-checked every month2 substances with published evidence

Where are these treatments legal?See country-by-country rules on our Psychedelic Therapy Legality Map

Substance by substance

One card per substance, strongest evidence first. A substance that isn’t here has no published clinical evidence for this condition yet.

Ketamine

Early research

Three small randomised trials, short-term effects.

A 2026 systematic review counted three small randomised trials: rapid anti-obsessional effects, but too little to judge lasting benefit, dosing or safety.1

The first crossover trial (15 adults) dates from 2013.2

A 2025 pilot in 12 people with treatment-resistant OCD found greater short-term improvement than an active control.3

Everything ketamine has been tested for →

Psilocybin

Early research

First small placebo-controlled trial is encouraging. Very early days.

In a randomised trial of 15 adults, weekly high doses of psilocybin reduced OCD symptoms more than an active placebo over four weeks.4

In a UK study of 19 adults, a 10 mg dose eased compulsions more than a 1 mg dose for about a week. Doses were given in a fixed order rather than at random, and the effect faded within a month.5

That team's first study, with 9 patients, dates back to 2006.6

Everything psilocybin has been tested for →

Keep reading

Living With OCD: How ERP Therapy Transformed Life For Entrepreneur MotherDiagnosed at 28 and pregnant, she found relief by facing her fears head-on with ERP.Read the article What Is Low-Dose Ketamine Therapy?A chief psychiatrist explains what low-dose ketamine therapy is and how it is used in practice.Read the article CBT Therapists on What Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Can OfferTherapists explain how CBT builds clarity, emotional awareness and practical skills for anxiety, depression and more.Read the article Research databaseNew studies, summarisedHundreds of papers on psychedelics and mental health, each with a plain-language summary and key facts.Browse the database

When standard treatment isn’t enough

PsyAccess, our sister project, explains the options available in Europe today and lists verified providers.

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.

  1. Heroiu et al. Ketamine in obsessive-compulsive disorder: a systematic review. 2026Journal
  2. Rodriguez CI et al. Randomized controlled crossover trial of ketamine in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2013Journal
  3. Beaglehole B et al. Ketamine versus active control in treatment-resistant OCD: randomised pilot trial. 2025Journal
  4. Moreno FA et al. A randomized clinical trial of repeated doses of psilocybin for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. J Psychopharmacol. 2026Journal
  5. Pellegrini L et al. Single-dose (10 mg) psilocybin reduces symptoms in adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder: a pharmacological challenge study. Compr Psychiatry. 2025Journal
  6. Moreno FA et al. Safety, tolerability, and efficacy of psilocybin in 9 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. J Clin Psychiatry. 2006Journal