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The Therapeutic Alliance's Moderating Role on the Negative Relationship Between Dread of Ego Dissolution and Changes in Depression Symptom Severity in Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Secondary Analysis of the PsiDeR Trial.

Canyon Akromis, Lorraine Li, Kwon Mok Ko, Petrina Chu, Tim Mantingh, James Rucker

2026 DOI: 10.17605/osf.io/dwxbk (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Secondary analysis of a phase II randomized placebo-controlled trial
Population Participants with treatment-resistant depression
Interventions Psilocybin placebo psychotherapy
Dose 25 mg
Measures Scale to Assess the Therapeutic Relationship-Patient/Clinician (STAR-P/C), 5-Dimension Altered State of Consciousness dread of ego dissolution subscale (5D-ASC-DED), Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)
Topics Depression Ego dissolution Psilocybin
Key findings The analysis tests whether therapeutic alliance moderates the relationship between dread of ego dissolution and depression symptom severity in people with treatment-resistant depression who received psilocybin or placebo with psychotherapy. No results are reported in the abstract.

Abstract

This project is a secondary analysis of data from Psilocybin in Depression Resistant to Standard Treatments (PsiDeR) study, a phase II, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial where participants with treatment resistant depression received either 25 mg of psilocybin or a placebo alongside psychotherapy. This research seeks to determine whether the therapeutic alliance, measured by the Scale to Assess the Therapeutic Relationship-Patient/Clinician (STAR-P/C), moderates the relationship between the dread of ego dissolution subscale of the 5-Dimension Altered State of Consciousness (5D-ASC-DED) and treatment-related outcomes of depression symptom severity, measured by Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS).

Comparable studies

Other randomized controlled trials on psilocybin for depression, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial Cancer patients with life-threatening diagnoses and symptoms of depression and/or anxiety 2016 Randomized controlled trial n = 51
Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial Patients with cancer-related anxiety and depression 2016 Double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial n = 29
Trial of Psilocybin versus Escitalopram for Depression Selected group of patients with depression 2021 Randomized controlled trial
Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder Adults aged 21 to 75 years with major depressive disorder, not currently using... 2020 Randomized controlled trial n = 24
Single-Dose Psilocybin for a Treatment-Resistant Episode of Major Depression. Adults with treatment-resistant depression 2022 Phase 2 double-blind randomized controlled trial n = 233

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