Cancer at the Dinner Table: Experiences of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Cancer-Related Distress
Thomas Cody Swift, Alexander Belser, Gabrielle Agin-Liebes, Neşe Devenot, Sara Terrana, Harris L. Friedman, Jeffrey Guss, Anthony P. Bossis, Stephen Ross
Journal of Humanistic Psychology June 14, 2017 DOI: 10.1177/0022167817715966 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study using interpretative phenomenological analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 13 |
| Population | Adult participants with clinically elevated anxiety associated with a cancer diagnosis |
| Intervention | Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy |
| Dose | a single dose of psilocybin |
| Topics | Anxiety Psilocybin Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Psychotherapist Clinical psychology Distress Interpretative phenomenological analysis Cancer Spirituality Thematic analysis Grief Qualitative research |
| Citations | 187 |
| Key findings | Participants described reconciliations with death, acknowledgment of cancer's place in life, emotional uncoupling from cancer, and spiritual or religious interpretations of their psilocybin session, which facilitated reconnection to life and greater confidence in the face of cancer recurrence. |
Abstract
Recent randomized controlled trials of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for patients with cancer suggest that this treatment results in large-magnitude reductions in anxiety and depression as well as improvements in attitudes toward disease progression and death, quality of life, and spirituality. To better understand these findings, we sought to identify psychological mechanisms of action using qualitative methods to study patient experiences in psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 13 adult participants with clinically elevated anxiety associated with a cancer diagnosis who received a single dose of psilocybin under close clinical supervision. Transcribed interviews were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis, which resulted in 10 themes, focused specifically on cancer, death and dying, and healing narratives. Participants spoke to the anxiety and trauma related to cancer, and perceived lack of available emotional support. Participants described the immersive and distressing effects of the psilocybin session, which led to reconciliations with death, an acknowledgment of cancer’s place in life, and emotional uncoupling from cancer. Participants made spiritual or religious interpretations of their experience, and the psilocybin therapy helped facilitate a felt reconnection to life, a reclaiming of presence, and greater confidence in the face of cancer recurrence. Implications for theory and clinical treatment are discussed.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on psilocybin and psychedelic-assisted therapy, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients’ Accounts of Increased “Connectedness” and “Acceptance” After Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression Patients with treatment-resistant depression enrolled in an open-label trial of psilocybin | 2017 | Qualitative study | n = 20 |
| Patient Experiences of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Adults aged 22 to 69 with clinically elevated anxiety associated with a cancer diagnosis | 2017 | Qualitative study | n = 13 |
| Psychedelic therapy for smoking cessation: Qualitative analysis of participant accounts Participants who completed a psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation pilot study | 2018 | Qualitative follow-up study using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis | n = 12 |
| Reports of self-compassion and affect regulation in psilocybin-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder: An interpretive phenomenological analysis. non-Hispanic White cisgender men and women with alcohol use disorder | 2023 | Qualitative study | n = 13 |
| Expert Opinion on Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy for People with Psychotic Symptoms Experts in psychiatry, clinical psychology, medicine, and psychedelics | 2022 | Qualitative study | n = 12 |