Confronting mortality : A meta-analysis and systematic review of psychedelic experiences and death anxiety
(2026) In Journal of Psychopharmacology- Abstract
This meta-analysis and systematic review examined the effects of psychedelic substances on death anxiety, specifically evaluating whether psychedelic experiences are associated with statistically significant reductions in death anxiety. A systematic search identified 8 studies suitable for meta-analysis and 10 additional studies for systematic review. Using a random-effects model, the meta-analysis revealed a significant overall effect (Cohen’s d = 0.70; 95% confidence interval [0.42, 0.97]), indicating a moderate-to-large reduction in death anxiety following psychedelic administration. Subgroup analyses showed stronger effects in clinically controlled settings compared to the general population. A mixed-effects meta-regression also... (More)
This meta-analysis and systematic review examined the effects of psychedelic substances on death anxiety, specifically evaluating whether psychedelic experiences are associated with statistically significant reductions in death anxiety. A systematic search identified 8 studies suitable for meta-analysis and 10 additional studies for systematic review. Using a random-effects model, the meta-analysis revealed a significant overall effect (Cohen’s d = 0.70; 95% confidence interval [0.42, 0.97]), indicating a moderate-to-large reduction in death anxiety following psychedelic administration. Subgroup analyses showed stronger effects in clinically controlled settings compared to the general population. A mixed-effects meta-regression also indicated that particularly mystical experiences were positively associated with reductions in death anxiety (B = 4.90, p = 0.050). Moderator effects by substance type were not significant. The qualitative review reaffirmed these results and identified themes of ego dissolution, emotional catharsis, and living in the present moment. Psychedelic-assisted interventions may be effective for reducing death anxiety, particularly in end-of-life care. However, limitations include a small number of studies, potential publication bias, and high heterogeneity in outcome measurement. Future research should employ more methodologically rigorous trials in order to clarify the mechanisms of psychedelic-assisted approaches to death anxiety.
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- author
- Cohorst, Alicia and Kajonius, Petri J. LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- in press
- subject
- keywords
- death acceptance, death anxiety, existential distress, fear of death, psychedelics
- in
- Journal of Psychopharmacology
- publisher
- SAGE Publications
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105032236362
- pmid:41797724
- ISSN
- 0269-8811
- DOI
- 10.1177/02698811261424199
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2026. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
- id
- 50c9b1df-93e2-45db-95e2-cf3422df342e
- date added to LUP
- 2026-04-28 15:28:27
- date last changed
- 2026-06-09 18:11:45
@article{50c9b1df-93e2-45db-95e2-cf3422df342e,
abstract = {{<p>This meta-analysis and systematic review examined the effects of psychedelic substances on death anxiety, specifically evaluating whether psychedelic experiences are associated with statistically significant reductions in death anxiety. A systematic search identified 8 studies suitable for meta-analysis and 10 additional studies for systematic review. Using a random-effects model, the meta-analysis revealed a significant overall effect (Cohen’s d = 0.70; 95% confidence interval [0.42, 0.97]), indicating a moderate-to-large reduction in death anxiety following psychedelic administration. Subgroup analyses showed stronger effects in clinically controlled settings compared to the general population. A mixed-effects meta-regression also indicated that particularly mystical experiences were positively associated with reductions in death anxiety (B = 4.90, p = 0.050). Moderator effects by substance type were not significant. The qualitative review reaffirmed these results and identified themes of ego dissolution, emotional catharsis, and living in the present moment. Psychedelic-assisted interventions may be effective for reducing death anxiety, particularly in end-of-life care. However, limitations include a small number of studies, potential publication bias, and high heterogeneity in outcome measurement. Future research should employ more methodologically rigorous trials in order to clarify the mechanisms of psychedelic-assisted approaches to death anxiety.</p>}},
author = {{Cohorst, Alicia and Kajonius, Petri J.}},
issn = {{0269-8811}},
keywords = {{death acceptance; death anxiety; existential distress; fear of death; psychedelics}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{SAGE Publications}},
series = {{Journal of Psychopharmacology}},
title = {{Confronting mortality : A meta-analysis and systematic review of psychedelic experiences and death anxiety}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/02698811261424199}},
doi = {{10.1177/02698811261424199}},
year = {{2026}},
}