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Psychedelic-Assisted Group Therapy: A Systematic Review

Alexander Trope, B. Anderson, Andrew R. Hooker, Giancarlo Glick, Christopher S. Stauffer, Joshua Woolley

Journal of Psychoactive Drugs March 15, 2019 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2019.1593559 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Systematic review Peer reviewed
Topics LSD Psilocybin Psychedelic-assisted therapy
Keywords Psychotherapist Modalities Group psychotherapy Clinical psychology Hallucinogen
Citations 113
Key findings No prior review had systematically identified experimental studies of psychedelic-assisted group therapy, and this review characterizes those studies by clinical approach, method, and outcomes to stimulate future research.

Abstract

Contemporary research with classic psychedelic drugs (e.g., lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin) is indebted to the twentieth-century researchers and clinicians who generated valuable clinical knowledge of these substances through experimentation. Several recent reviews that highlight the contributions of this early literature have focused on psychedelic-assisted individual psychotherapy modalities. None have attempted to systematically identify and compile experimental studies of psychedelic-assisted group therapy. In therapeutic settings, psychedelics were often used to enhance group therapy for a variety of populations and clinical indications. We report on the results of a systematic review of the published literature in English and Spanish on psychedelic-assisted group therapies. Publications are characterized by their clinical approach, experimental method, and clinical outcomes. Given the renewed interest in the clinical use of psychedelic medicines, this review aims to stimulate hypotheses to be tested in future research on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, group process, and interpersonal functioning.

Comparable studies

Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on LSD, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) for alcoholism: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Participants in randomized controlled trials of LSD for alcoholism 2012 Meta-analysis n = 536
Antidepressive, anxiolytic, and antiaddictive effects of ayahuasca, psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD): a systematic review of clinical trials published in the last 25 years Patients from included clinical trials 2016 Systematic review
Default Mode Network Modulation by Psychedelics: A Systematic Review Participants from included studies 2022 Systematic review
Efficacy, tolerability, and safety of serotonergic psychedelics for the management of mood, anxiety, and substance-use disorders: a systematic review of systematic reviews Patients with mood, anxiety, or substance-use disorders, including cancer patients and... 2018 Systematic review of systematic reviews
Therapeutic Use of LSD in Psychiatry: A Systematic Review of Randomized-Controlled Clinical Trials Patients with psychiatric disorders, primarily alcoholism 2020 Systematic review n = 567

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