Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) in the Treatment of Alcoholism: An Investigation of Its Effects on Drinking Behavior, Personality Structure, and Social Functioning
JAMA February 26, 1968 DOI: 10.1001/jama.1968.03140090195028 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Double-blind Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | LSD routine therapy |
| Duration | 6 and 18 months after treatment |
| Topics | LSD |
| Citations | 8 |
| Key findings | The authors argue that previous LSD therapy studies for alcoholism were methodologically flawed and report a randomized, double-blind, placebo- and routine-therapy-controlled trial with independent assessments before treatment and at 6 and 18 months after. They distinguish psycholytic therapy, using many LSD interviews in a psychoanalytic model, from psychedelic therapy, usually a single LSD session within supportive psychotherapy. |
Abstract
LSD is the only new treatment for alcoholism which has been introduced in recent years; on that basis the authors justify this latest volume on LSD therapy. It gives a very brief, yet scholarly review of the neurophysiological, behavioral, and psychological effects of LSD as well as proposed mechanisms of action, assesses previous therapeutic work with LSD, weighs it in the balance, and finds it wanting. It reports a study that attempts to correct the flaws in previous studies by using random assignment, double-blind technique, placebo and routine therapy controls, and careful, independent assessment with psychometric and interview techniques before, and 6 and 18 months after, treatment. The authors distinguish two types of LSD therapy—psycholytic, which uses many LSD interviews employing a psychoanalytic model to achieve the release of unconscious material, and psychedelic, which usually employs a single LSD session, embedded in a matrix of supportive psychotherapy. The authors employ
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on LSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safety and Efficacy of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide-Assisted Psychotherapy for Anxiety Associated With Life-threatening Diseases Patients with anxiety associated with life-threatening diseases | 2014 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 12 |
| Dose-Response Study of N,N-Dimethyltryptamine in Humans Experienced hallucinogen users | 1994 | Double-blind, saline placebo-controlled, randomized study | n = 12 |
| Acute Effects of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide in Healthy Subjects Healthy subjects (8 women, 8 men) | 2014 | Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study | n = 16 |
| Changes in global and thalamic brain connectivity in LSD-induced altered states of consciousness are attributable to the 5-HT2A receptor Healthy human participants | 2018 | Double-blind, randomized, counterbalanced, cross-over study | n = 24 |
| LSD-induced entropic brain activity predicts subsequent personality change. Healthy adults | 2016 | Balanced-order, placebo-controlled study | n = 19 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) for alcoholism: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Journal of Psychopharmacology March 8, 2012
- Flashback: psychiatric experimentation with LSD in historical perspective. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry June 1, 2005
- ‘Hitting Highs at Rock Bottom’: LSD Treatment for Alcoholism, 1950–1970 Social History of Medicine July 17, 2006
- The Use of Hallucinogens in the Treatment of Addiction Addiction Research & Theory 1996
- Psychoactive substances in psychotherapy - A vision for the future? – A systematic review on Psilocybin July 6, 2023
and 1 more in the library