Psychoactive substances in psychotherapy - A vision for the future? – A systematic review on Psilocybin
Jenny Tetem, Tamara Fischmann, Tim Julian Möller
July 6, 2023 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/ztyxh (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Literature review |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Psilocybin |
| Topics | Addiction Anxiety Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Hallucinogen Depression economics Population Blinding Psychotherapist Clinical psychology Clinical trial |
| Key findings | The greatest evidence for psilocybin use was found in treating tobacco addiction and anxiety and depression related to life-threatening illnesses, with rapid clinical improvement and no serious adverse events, though limitations include small sample sizes, blinding difficulties, and non-representative populations. |
Abstract
This work is a literature review on the use of psilocybin in psychotherapeutic treatment of mental illnesses. The review answers the question of what opportunities and risks are associated with the use of the psychoactive substance psilocybin. Peer-reviewed studies between 2017 and 2022 were included. Nine studies were found regarding the following indications: tobacco addiction, anxiety and depressive states related to life-threatening cancer, as well as treatment-resistant depression. A rapid clinical improvement of various symptoms was observed. The greatest evidence for the use of psilocybin was found in treating tobacco addiction and anxiety and depression related to life-threatening illnesses. No serious adverse events were reported in the studies. However, current studies have limitations, such as small sample sizes, difficulties with blinding, and a treatment population considered non-representative. The results are not representative but provide indications of effective treatment and are a starting point for further studies.