DPT as an Adjunct in Brief Psychotherapy with Cancer Patients
William A. Richards, John Rhead, Stanislav Grof, Louis E. Goodman, Francesco B. Di Leo, Lockwood Rush
OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying February 1, 1980 DOI: 10.2190/ngub-v4rm-t7dc-xth3 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot project Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Cancer patients suffering from psychological distress |
| Interventions | individual psychotherapy conventional verbal interaction dipropyltryptamine (DPT) |
| Duration | Four-week period |
| Topics | Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Dpt therapy Drug-assisted therapy Psychedelic treatment Psychedelic intervention Novel therapeutic approach Cancer care Oncology Cancer patients Cancer treatment Cancer support Psychological distress Mental health Emotional well-being Distress treatment Psychological support Quality of life Patient outlook Life quality |
| Citations | 20 |
| Key points | The combined therapeutic approach of conventional verbal psychotherapy and a single DPT-assisted session suggests enhanced quality of life for cancer patients. |
Abstract
Thirty cancer patients suffering from psychological distress participated in a pilot project of individual psychotherapy that offered – over a four week period of time – approximately twelve hours of conventional verbal interaction and a single intensive drug-assisted therapy session that employed dipropyltryptamine (DPT), a short-acting psychedelic drug. The efficacy of the total therapeutic approach in enhancing the quality of life is indicated by the analysis of data from psychological tests and independent ratings completed before and after the treatment intervention. The relative merits of DPT in comparison with LSD and the need to pursue a controlled study are discussed.