The Psychedelic Debriefing in Alcohol Dependence Treatment: Illustrating Key Change Phenomena through Qualitative Content Analysis of Clinical Sessions
Elizabeth M. Nielson, Darrick G. May, Alyssa A. Forcehimes, Michael P. Bogenschutz
Frontiers in Pharmacology February 21, 2018 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00132 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Open-label pilot (proof-of-concept) study with qualitative content analysis Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 17 |
| Population | Participants in a psilocybin-assisted treatment study for alcohol dependence |
| Topics | Psilocybin Addiction |
| Keywords | Debriefing Psychotherapist Population Clinical psychology Qualitative research Hallucinogen |
| Citations | 111 |
| Registration | NCT01534494 NCT02061293 |
| Key findings | Participants articulated key phenomena related to change in drinking outcomes and acute subjective effects of psilocybin during debriefing sessions. |
Abstract
Research on the clinical applications of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy has demonstrated promising early results for treatment of alcohol dependence. Detailed description of the content and methods of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, as it is conducted in clinical settings, is scarce.
Methods: An open-label pilot (proof-of-concept) study of psilocybin-assisted treatment of alcohol dependence (NCT01534494) was conducted to generate data for a phase 2 RCT (NCT02061293) of a similar treatment in a larger population. The present paper presents a qualitative content analysis of the 17 debriefing sessions conducted in the pilot study, which occurred the day after corresponding psilocybin medication sessions.
Results: Participants articulated a series of key phenomena related to change in drinking outcomes and acute subjective effects of psilocybin.
Discussion: The data illuminate change processes in patients' own words during clinical sessions, shedding light on potential therapeutic mechanisms of change and how participants express effects of psilocybin. This study is unique in analyzing actual clinical sessions, as opposed to interviews of patients conducted separately from treatment.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on psilocybin for addiction, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot study of the 5-HT2AR agonist psilocybin in the treatment of tobacco addiction Psychiatrically healthy nicotine-dependent smokers | 2014 | Open-label pilot study | n = 15 |
| Psilocybin-Occasioned Mystical Experiences in the Treatment of Tobacco Addiction Smokers | 2015 | Open-label pilot study | n = 15 |
| It’s time to take psilocybin seriously as a possible treatment for substance use disorders | 2016 | Pilot study | |
| Single-dose psilocybin therapy for alcohol use disorder: Pharmacokinetics, feasibility, safety and efficacy in an open-label study Treatment-seeking adults with severe alcohol use disorder | 2025 | Open-label, single-group study | n = 10 |
| Psilocybin for Opioid Use Disorder in Two Adults Stabilized on Buprenorphine: A Technical Report on Study Modifications and Preliminary Findings People with opioid use disorder | 2023 | Clinical trial |