LSD-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety associated with a life-threatening disease: A qualitative study of acute and sustained subjective effects
Journal of Psychopharmacology – November 11, 2014
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
LSD-assisted psychotherapy shows remarkable potential for patients facing anxiety due to life-threatening illnesses. In a follow-up with 10 participants one year post-therapy, 77.8% reported reduced anxiety and 66.7% experienced improved quality of life. None had lasting adverse effects. Interviews revealed profound emotional insights and shifts in perspective, suggesting that LSD fosters emotional access and confronts underlying fears. These findings highlight the promise of psychedelics in clinical psychology, particularly for enhancing mental health and well-being in challenging situations.
Abstract
Objective: A recently published study showed the safety and efficacy of LSD-assisted psychotherapy in patients with anxiety associated with life-threatening diseases. Participants of this study were included in a prospective follow-up. Method: 12 months after finishing LSD psychotherapy, 10 participants were tested for anxiety (STAI) and participated in a semi-structured interview. A Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA) was carried out on the interviews to elaborate about LSD effects and lasting psychological changes. Results: None of the participants reported lasting adverse reactions. The significant benefits as measured with the STAI were sustained over a 12-month period. In the QCA participants consistently reported insightful, cathartic and interpersonal experiences, accompanied by a reduction in anxiety (77.8%) and a rise in quality of life (66.7%). Evaluations of subjective experiences suggest facilitated access to emotions, confrontation of previously unknown anxieties, worries, resources and intense emotional peak experiences à la Maslow as major psychological working mechanisms. The experiences created led to a restructuring of the person’s emotional trust, situational understanding, habits and world view. Conclusions: LSD administered in a medically supervised psychotherapeutic setting can be safe and generate lasting benefits in patients with a life-threatening disease. Explanatory models for the therapeutic effects of LSD warrant further study.