Corrigendum to “Decreases in Suicidality Following Psychedelic Therapy
Richard J. Zeifman, Dengdeng Yu, Nikhita Singhal, Guan Wang, Sandeep M. Nayak, Cory R. Weissman
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry May 9, 2022 correction DOI: 10.4088/jcp.22l14505 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Meta-analysis |
|---|---|
| Population | Participants in psychedelic therapy trials |
| Intervention | Psilocybin |
| Dose | 1 mg/70 kg; 21-25.2 mg/70 kg |
| Topics | Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Psychotherapist |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key findings | Two suicidality-related events—one completed suicide and one suicide attempt—occurred in psilocybin trials, though deemed not attributable to the drug, underscoring the importance of monitoring all treatment arms. |
Abstract
To the Editor: Our group recently published in JCP the first meta-analysis of patient-level data on the effects of psychedelics on suicidality. 1 While not described in our article, it is noteworthy that 2 suicidality-related events that had been deemed not attributable to the administration of a psychedelic (by the authors of the primary outcome studies) occurred within the studies included in our meta-analysis.Griffiths et al 2 describe in their supplementary materials that 1 individual in their very low-dose (placebo-like) psilocybin condition completed suicide 11 days after being administered 1 mg/70 kg psilocybin.The individual reported feeling bored during the session and was discontinued from the study after leaving the session early.They also report that there was no behavioral impairment or adverse sequelae during the follow-up later that day or on subsequent days.Andersen et al 3 report that 1 individual attempted suicide approximately 2 months after being administered an active dose of psilocybin (21-25.2mg/70 kg).The suicide attempt occurred after the individual learned about the sudden death of a former partner, subsequently used methamphetamine and crack cocaine, and then experienced a brief psychotic episode.They reported that the actual lethality of the attempt was 0 and the potential lethality was a 2 on the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale.Although these events are likely not attributable to psychedelic therapy itself, they are nonetheless worthy of consideration and suggest the importance of closely monitoring patients in all treatment arms throughout and following psychedelic therapy trials.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on psychedelic-assisted therapy, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Meta-Analysis of Placebo-Controlled Trials of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy | 2020 | Systematic review | |
| Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy—A Systematic Review of Associated Psychological Interventions | 2022 | Systematic review | |
| Psychedelic therapy for depressive symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Participants in studies of psychedelic therapy for depressive symptoms (Major... | 2023 | Systematic review with meta-analysis | n = 14 |
| Psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Patients diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses or major depressive disorder | 2023 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | n = 686 |
| Treating posttraumatic stress disorder with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy: A preliminary meta-analysis and comparison to prolonged exposure therapy Patients with PTSD | 2016 | Meta-analysis |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
Cites 3
- Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial Journal of Psychopharmacology November 30, 2016
- Therapeutic effects of classic serotonergic psychedelics: A systematic review of modern‐era clinical studies Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica October 30, 2020
- Decreases in Suicidality Following Psychedelic Therapy The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry January 13, 2022