Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in the Context of Serious Illness.
William E Rosa, Zachary Sager, Megan Miller, Ilan Bernstein, Alden Doerner Rinaldi, Katie Addicott, Michael Ljuslin, Chris Adrian, Anthony L. Back, Jamie Beachy, Anthony P. Bossis, William Breitbart, Mary P Cosimano, Stacy M. Fischer, Jeffrey Guss, Emma Knighton, Janis Phelps, Brian D. Richards, William A Richards, James A. Tulsky, Monnica T. Williams, Yvan Beaussant
Journal of Palliative Medicine August 1, 2022 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2022.0036 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Palliative care clinicians and patients |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression LSD MDMA Psilocybin Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Anxiety treatment Demoralization Palliative care Psychedelics Serious illness Psychological support |
| Citations | 49 |
| Key findings | Psychedelic-assisted therapy can safely and effectively reduce anxiety, depression, and demoralization in seriously ill and end-of-life patients, but practical guidance for palliative care clinicians remains limited. |
Abstract
Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is a burgeoning treatment with growing interest across a variety of settings and disciplines. Empirical evidence supports PAT as a novel therapeutic approach that provides safe and effective treatment for people suffering from a variety of diagnoses, including treatment-resistant depression, substance use disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Within the palliative care (PC) field, one-time PAT dosing may lead to sustained reductions in anxiety, depression, and demoralization-symptoms that diminish the quality of life in both seriously ill patients and those at end of life. Despite a well-noted psychedelic renaissance in scholarship and a renewed public interest in the utilization of these medicines, serious illness-specific content to guide PAT applications in hospice and PC clinical settings has been limited. This article offers 10 evidence-informed tips for PC clinicians synthesized through consultation with interdisciplinary and international leading experts in the field with aims to: (1) familiarize PC clinicians and teams with PAT; (2) identify the unique challenges pertaining to this intervention given the current legalities and logistical barriers; (3) discuss therapeutic competencies and considerations for current and future PAT use in PC; and (4) highlight critical approaches to optimize the safety and potential benefits of PAT among patients with serious illness and their caregivers.