Longitudinal experiences of Canadians receiving compassionate access to psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy.
Scientific reports – July 17, 2024
Source: PubMed
Summary
Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy shows promising results for cancer patients experiencing end-of-life distress. In a groundbreaking Canadian program, eight palliative care patients received legal access to psychedelics for therapeutic use. After treatment, participants reported significant improvements in anxiety, depression, pain, and quality of life. While most found the experience meaningful, careful screening remains vital.
Abstract
Recent clinical trials have found that the serotonergic psychedelic psilocybin effectively alleviates anxiodepressive symptoms in patients with life-threatening illnesses when given in a supportive environment. These outcomes prompted Canada to establish legal pathways for therapeutic access to psilocybin, coupled with psychological support. Despite over one-hundred Canadians receiving compassionate access since 2020, there has been little examination of these 'real-world' patients. We conducted a prospective longitudinal survey which focused on Canadians who were granted Section 56 exemptions for legal psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy. Surveys assessing various symptom dimensions were conducted at baseline, two weeks following the session (endpoint), and optionally one day post-session. Participant characteristics were examined using descriptive statistics, and paired sample t-tests were used to quantify changes from baseline to the two-week post-treatment endpoint. Eight participants with Section 56 exemptions (four females, Mage = 52.3 years), all with cancer diagnoses, fully completed baseline and endpoint surveys. Significant improvements in anxiety and depression symptoms, pain, fear of COVID-19, quality of life, and spiritual well-being were observed. Attitudes towards death, medical assistance in dying, and desire for hastened death remained unchanged. While most participants found the psilocybin sessions highly meaningful, if challenging, one reported a substantial decrease in well-being due to the experience. These preliminary data are amongst the first to suggest that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy can produce psychiatric benefits in real-world patients akin to those observed in clinical trials. Limited enrollment and individual reports of negative experiences indicate the need for formal real-world evaluation programs to surveil the ongoing expansion of legal access to psychedelics.