LYSERGIC ACID DIETHYLAMIDE (LSD-25)
American Journal of Psychiatry June 1, 1952 DOI: 10.1176/ajp.108.12.896 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 15 |
| Population | Patients with depressive reactions |
| Intervention | Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD-25 Sandoz) |
| Dose | 20-100 micrograms |
| Duration | One month's treatment |
| Topics | Anxiety LSD |
| Keywords | Euphoriant Depersonalization Derealization Feeling Hallucinogen Clinical psychology |
| Citations | 137 |
| Key findings | Improvement during LSD therapy was not greater than that obtained without its use in comparable cases, but LSD affords therapeutically valuable insights into unconscious processes through hallucinations. |
Abstract
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD-25 Sandoz) given orally in single doses as low as 20 micrograms produces depersonalization, derealization, and increased imagery in "normal" individuals. Larger doses are required to produce the same effect in psychotic patients. Of 15 patients with depressive reactions, 3 recovered and 4 improved after one month's treatment with daily oral doses of 20-100 micrograms of LSD. Four patients showed no improvement. In 4 cases, treatment was discontinued before proper evaluation could be made. Anxiety was a prominent reaction while less frequently euphoria was observed. In 3 patients who developed euphoria it served as an aid to psychotherapy by encouraging expression of feeling. In the others the heightened anxiety encouraged reticence rather than confidence. Improvement obtained during the course of LSD therapy was not greater than that obtained without its use in comparable cases. However, LSD affords therapeutically valuable insights into unconscious processes by the medium of the hallucinations it produces.
In the evidence
This study is part of the evidence base for a synthesis in the library. Here is how each one recorded it.
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State of the evidence: LSD for anxiety No effect
Improvement during LSD therapy was not greater than that obtained without its use in comparable cases, and anxiety was a prominent reaction during treatment.
Synthesized
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on LSD for anxiety, most cited first.