Acute subjective effects in LSD- and MDMA-assisted psychotherapy
Yasmin Schmid, Peter Gasser, Peter Oehen, Matthias E. Liechti
Journal of Psychopharmacology October 8, 2020 DOI: 10.1177/0269881120959604 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 18 |
| Population | Patients with psychiatric disorders (posttraumatic stress disorder and major depression) in a compassionate use program |
| Interventions | LSD MDMA |
| Dose | LSD 100–200 µg, MDMA 100–175 mg |
| Topics | LSD MDMA Psilocybin Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Hallucinogen Depression economics Clinical psychology Psychotherapist |
| Citations | 82 |
| Key findings | LSD and MDMA produced acute alterations of consciousness and mystical-type experiences in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder and depression that were largely comparable to effects in research subjects. |
Abstract
Background: Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) were used in psychotherapy in the 1960s–1980s, and are currently being re-investigated as treatments for several psychiatric disorders. In Switzerland, limited medical use of these substances is possible in patients not responding to other treatments (compassionate use).
Methods: This study aimed to describe patient characteristics, treatment indications and acute alterations of mind in patients receiving LSD (100–200 µg) and/or MDMA (100–175 mg) within the Swiss compassionate use programme from 2014–2018. Acute effects were assessed using the 5 Dimensions of Altered States of Consciousness scale and the Mystical Experience Questionnaire, and compared with those in healthy volunteers administered with LSD or MDMA and patients treated alone with LSD in clinical trials.
Results: Eighteen patients (including 12 women and six men, aged 29–77 years) were treated in group settings. Indications mostly included posttraumatic stress disorder and major depression. Generally, a drug-assisted session was conducted every 3.5 months after 3–10 psychotherapy sessions. LSD induced pronounced alterations of consciousness on the 5 Dimensions of Altered States of Consciousness scale, and mystical-type experiences with increases in all scales on the Mystical Experience Questionnaire. Effects were largely comparable between patients in the compassionate use programme and patients or healthy subjects treated alone in a research setting.
Conclusion: LSD and MDMA are currently used medically in Switzerland mainly in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder and depression in group settings, producing similar acute responses as in research subjects. The data may serve as a basis for further controlled studies of substance-assisted psychotherapy.
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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LSD and MDMA produced acute alterations of consciousness and mystical-type experiences in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder and depression that were largely comparable to effects in research subjects.
Synthesized
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on LSD and psychedelic-assisted therapy, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naturalistic psychedelic therapy: The role of relaxation and subjective drug effects in antidepressant response 28 PAT patients and 28 healthy volunteers | 2024 | Observational cohort with comparison group | n = 56 |
| Real-world effectiveness and safety of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: Outcomes from a large-scale compassionate use cohort in Switzerland. Adults with treatment-resistant depressive and/or anxiety disorders | 2026 | Retrospective observational cohort | n = 115 |
| Rural-urban divide in risk perception of LSD: Implications for psychedelic-assisted therapy. Rural and urban respondents in the United States | 2025 | Observational cohort |