Psilocybin-assisted therapy of major depressive disorder using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a therapeutic frame
Jordan Sloshower, Jeffrey Guss, Robert Krause, Ryan M Wallace, Monnica T. Williams, Sara Reed, Matthew D. Skinta
Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science 2020 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcbs.2019.11.002 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Depression Psilocybin |
| Citations | 168 |
| Key points | Proposes that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy provides a coherent psychotherapeutic framework for psilocybin-assisted therapy by targeting processes that increase psychological flexibility. |
Abstract
Abstract Psychedelic-assisted therapy is based on the premise that psychedelic substances can act as catalysts or adjuncts to psychotherapeutic processes. Recent clinical trials involving psychedelic-assisted therapy have generally employed a similar three-part structure consisting of preparation, support during the dosing sessions, and subsequent “integration.” However, the content of these sessions and the frame through which the therapists approach participants and understand the clinical process has thus far been inconsistent among studies. In designing a manualized therapy protocol for a small clinical trial of psilocybin-assisted therapy for major depressive disorder, our group sought to delineate an explicit and replicable, evidence-based model that intentionally builds upon both the neurobiological actions of the medication and the phenomenology of the drug experience. Having identified considerable concordance in proposed mechanisms of change between Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and psilocybin therapy, we employed ACT as an overarching psychotherapeutic framework. We hypothesize that the psilocybin experience can provide direct experiential contact with ACT processes that increase psychological flexibility, and that these deeply felt experiences may in turn be reinforced during ACT-informed follow-up therapy sessions. In this paper, we describe the rationale for selecting ACT, areas of potential synergism between ACT and psilocybin-therapy, the basic structure of our treatment model, and limitations to this approach.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on psilocybin for depression, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Yale Manual for Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy of Depression (using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a Therapeutic Frame) | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Psilocybin-Assisted Compassion Focused Therapy for Depression | 2022 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of major depression: a synthesis of phenomenological explanations. | 2022 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Unblinding and demand characteristics in the treatment of depression. | 2023 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Psilocybin as a Novel Pharmacotherapy for Treatment-Refractory Anorexia Nervosa | 2021 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 136
- Therapeutic Alliance and Rapport Modulate Responses to Psilocybin Assisted Therapy for Depression Frontiers in Pharmacology March 31, 2022
- Learning to Let Go: A Cognitive-Behavioral Model of How Psychedelic Therapy Promotes Acceptance Frontiers in Psychiatry February 21, 2020
- Psychedelic integration: An analysis of the concept and its practice Frontiers in Psychology August 4, 2022
- Psilocybin-assisted therapy for major depressive disorder: An exploratory placebo-controlled, fixed-order trial Journal of Psychopharmacology March 20, 2023
- Pivotal mental states Journal of Psychopharmacology April 1, 2021
and 131 more in the library
Cites 18
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study. The Lancet Psychiatry May 17, 2016
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression August 21, 2006
- The entropic brain: a theory of conscious states informed by neuroimaging research with psychedelic drugs Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2014
- Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety. Journal of Psychopharmacology July 1, 2008
and 13 more in the library