[Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy in palliative medicine].
Amandine Schaller, Géraldine Bourquin, Indira Amorim Araujo, Michael Ljuslin
Revue Médicale Suisse December 20, 2023 DOI: 10.53738/REVMED.2023.19.855.2395 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Palliative care patients with depression, anxiety, and existential distress |
| Intervention | Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy |
| Topics | End-of-life distress Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Key findings | Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy may offer remission for depression, anxiety, and existential distress in palliative care patients where conventional treatments have shown little benefit. |
Abstract
Depression, anxiety and existential distress associated with terminal illness have a major impact on quality of life among palliative care patients. Psychedelics are emerging as catalysts for reflective, introspective and sometimes spiritual exploration as part of psychotherapy, with potentially rapid and long-lasting multiple beneficial effects. Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) combines preparation, substance intake, and integration of experiences to facilitate profound psychospiritual change. Despite methodological and administrative hurdles, interest in this innovative approach continues to grow because of its potential to offer remission where conventional approaches have shown little benefits.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on end-of-life distress, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in the Context of Serious Illness. Palliative care clinicians and patients | 2022 | Review | |
| The Potential of Psychedelics for End of Life and Palliative Care. Patients with life-threatening diagnoses | 2022 | Review | |
| Psilocybin in Palliative Care: An Update. Palliative care patients | 2023 | Review | |
| Psychedelic medicines for end-of-life care: Pipeline clinical trial review 2022. People with terminal illnesses experiencing depression, anxiety, or existential distress | 2023 | Scoping review | n = 25 |
| Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for existential distress: practical considerations for therapeutic application—a review | 2024 | Narrative review |