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Experiences of psilocybin treatment for clinical conditions: A qualitative meta‐synthesis

Marie Crowe, Jenni Manuel, Dave Carlyle, Cameron Lacey

International Journal of Mental Health Nursing February 13, 2023 DOI: 10.1111/inm.13127 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Qualitative meta-synthesis Peer reviewed
Population People with cancer, depression, HIV, substance use disorder, smoking cessation, and trauma
Intervention Psilocybin
Topics Psilocybin
Keywords Hallucinogen Psychotherapist Clinical psychology Mental health
Citations 18
Key findings Across ten studies, people treated with psilocybin described their experiences through three common themes: acceptance, connection, and transformation, regardless of the health condition.

Abstract

Abstract There is increasing clinical interest in the use of psilocybin. There is emerging evidence of the efficacy of psilocybin for the treatment of a range of clinical conditions. Mental health nurses have a unique set of skills for caring for people who are hallucinating. To expand these skills to meet the developing clinical interest in the therapeutic use of psilocybin, it is helpful to understand the experience from the perspective of the person being treated with psilocybin. A qualitative meta‐synthesis was conducted to examine how those with psilocybin described their experiences to identify whether its effects are similar across different health conditions. Ten studies were included in the review. The health conditions studied were cancer, depression, HIV, substance use disorder, smoking cessation and trauma. The synthesis of findings identified three themes that were common across the studies despite the health condition: acceptance, connection and transformation. The review provides helpful insights into how people experience psilocybin and its effects on their health condition.

Comparable studies

Other qualitative studies on psilocybin, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Patients’ Accounts of Increased “Connectedness” and “Acceptance” After Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression Patients with treatment-resistant depression enrolled in an open-label trial of psilocybin 2017 Qualitative study n = 20
Patient Experiences of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Adults aged 22 to 69 with clinically elevated anxiety associated with a cancer diagnosis 2017 Qualitative study n = 13
Psychedelic therapy for smoking cessation: Qualitative analysis of participant accounts Participants who completed a psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation pilot study 2018 Qualitative follow-up study using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis n = 12
Response of cluster headache to psilocybin and LSD Cluster headache patients who used psilocybin or LSD 2006 Qualitative study n = 53
Cancer at the Dinner Table: Experiences of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Cancer-Related Distress Adult participants with clinically elevated anxiety associated with a cancer diagnosis 2017 Qualitative study using interpretative phenomenological analysis n = 13

Citations in the library

Cited by 17

and 12 more in the library

Cites 26

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