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Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: hope and dilemma

The Lancet Regional Health – Europe

The Lancet Regional Health - Europe September 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2023.100727 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Review Peer reviewed
Intervention Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy
Duration 18-month follow-up
Topics Psychedelic-assisted therapy
Keywords Dilemma Psychotherapist Psychoanalysis Epistemology
Citations 10
Key findings Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy requires fewer treatment regimens than current depression therapies and, in an unpublished study, produced sustained remission of depression at 18 months following a single treatment.

Abstract

Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: hope and dilemmaPsychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is an emerging therapeutic approach that combines the use of psychedelics (a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs) and psychotherapy for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and treatment-resistant depression.Compared with current treatments for depression, psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy has a more direct impact on brain activity, which can result in profound insights and promote introspection, emotional release, and cognitive shifts.Most importantly, it requires fewer treatment regimens, often just one, and in a yet-to-bepublished study, the therapeutic benefits have been shown to result in sustained remission of depression at 18 months following a single treatment.