Psychedelics and Related Pharmacotherapies as Integrative Medicine for Older Adults in Palliative Care.
Kabir Nigam, Kimberly A Curseen, Yvan Beaussant
Clinics in geriatric medicine August 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1016/j.cger.2023.04.004 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Psychedelic-assisted therapy Ketamine Cannabis |
| Topics | End-of-life distress Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | End of life Integrative medicine Pat Palliative care Psychedelics Serious illness |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | Psychedelic-assisted therapy is an effective treatment for end-of-life distress, while ketamine and cannabis may help with symptom burden. |
Abstract
Psychological distress at the end of life is a common experience that lacks effective treatments. This is in part due to the multidimensional nature of psychological distress at the end of life, encompassing an interplay between psychosocial and existential distress as well as physical symptom burden. Research shows that psychedelic-assisted therapy is an effective treatment of end of life distress. Ketamine and cannabis may help with quick and effective treatment of symptom burden at the end of life. Although these novel interventions show promise, further data is needed, particularly in elderly populations.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
Cites 20
- Safety and Efficacy of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide-Assisted Psychotherapy for Anxiety Associated With Life-threatening Diseases The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease March 4, 2014
- The Subjective Effects of Psychedelics Are Necessary for Their Enduring Therapeutic Effects. ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science December 10, 2020
- The molecular mechanism of "ecstasy" [3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA)]: serotonin transporters are targets for MDMA-induced serotonin release. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences March 1, 1992
- Lysergic Acid Diethylamide-Assisted Therapy in Patients With Anxiety With and Without a Life-Threatening Illness: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase II Study. Biological Psychiatry February 1, 2023
- Psilocybin-assisted group therapy for demoralized older long-term AIDS survivor men: An open-label safety and feasibility pilot study EClinicalMedicine September 24, 2020
and 15 more in the library