A pilot study of the effect of group-administered psilocybin on psychological flexibility and outcomes
Brian Pilecki, Jason B. Luoma, Kati M. Lear
Journal of Psychedelic Studies April 5, 2024 DOI: 10.1556/2054.2024.00295 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 9 |
| Population | Participants attending a 7-day psilocybin retreat |
| Intervention | Psilocybin |
| Duration | 7-day retreat with 2-month and 6-month follow-up |
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Flexibility engineering Psychotherapist Clinical psychology Hallucinogen |
| Citations | 9 |
| Key points | Psilocybin administered in a retreat setting led to significant improvements in cognitive defusion, valued living, and self-compassion, with a trend toward increased overall psychological flexibility. |
Abstract
Abstract Psychological flexibility has been proposed as a core process of change when psychedelics are used for therapeutic purposes, but to date empirical outcomes have only documented changes on the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ-II), a very general measure of psychological flexibility. This pilot study measured outcomes from psilocybin administered in a retreat setting across a range of measures assessing aspects of psychological flexibility. Nine participants attended a 7-day psilocybin retreat and completed measures at baseline, 2-, and 6-month follow up. Participants demonstrated significant improvements in cognitive defusion (Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire), valued living (Valuing Questionnaire), and Self-Compassion (Self-Compassion Scale), as well as a trend towards increased overall psychological flexibility (AAQ). Other outcome and process measures included measures related to acute effects of the psilocybin, belief in oneness, social safeness, mental health, burnout and emotion expressivity. These results offer preliminary evidence that therapeutic benefits obtained from psilocybin experiences may be linked to changes in psychological flexibility.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on psilocybin, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study. Patients with moderate-to-severe, unipolar, treatment-resistant major depression | 2016 | Open-label feasibility trial | n = 12 |
| Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up. Patients with severe, unipolar, treatment-resistant major depression | 2017 | Open-label trial | n = 20 |
| Pilot study of the 5-HT2AR agonist psilocybin in the treatment of tobacco addiction Psychiatrically healthy nicotine-dependent smokers | 2014 | Open-label pilot study | n = 15 |
| Quality of Acute Psychedelic Experience Predicts Therapeutic Efficacy of Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression Patients with treatment-resistant depression | 2018 | Clinical trial | n = 20 |
| Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy of Psilocybin in 9 Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Subjects with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) | 2006 | Controlled clinical trial |
Citations in the library
Cited by 10
- Acceptance as a possible link between past psychedelic experiences and psychological flexibility. Scientific Reports October 16, 2024
- Exploring serotonergic psychedelics as a treatment for personality disorders. Neuropharmacology July 1, 2025
- Oregon’s Emerging Psilocybin Services Workforce: A Survey of the First Legal Psilocybin Facilitators and Their Training Programs Journal of Psychoactive Drugs January 29, 2025
- Psilocybin-Assisted suppoRtive psychoTherapy IN the treatment of prolonged Grief (PARTING) trial: protocol for an open-label pilot trial for cancer-related bereavement BMJ Open April 1, 2025
- Ketamine-assisted group psychotherapy integrating cognitive processing therapy to address identity-based trauma: a pilot study Frontiers in Psychiatry January 22, 2026
and 5 more in the library
Cites 27
- Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder JAMA Psychiatry November 4, 2020
- Mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin mediate the attribution of personal meaning and spiritual significance 14 months later Journal of Psychopharmacology May 30, 2008
- Long-term follow-up of psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse July 21, 2016
- Validation of the revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire in experimental sessions with psilocybin Journal of Psychopharmacology October 6, 2015
- Survey study of challenging experiences after ingesting psilocybin mushrooms: Acute and enduring positive and negative consequences Journal of Psychopharmacology August 31, 2016
and 22 more in the library