Exploring psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in the treatment of methamphetamine use disorder
Frontiers in Psychiatry – March 14, 2023
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Current psychological interventions for methamphetamine use disorder yield modest success, leaving a critical gap in Psychiatry and Medicine. Yet, the potent hallucinogen psilocybin, an alkaloid with known Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior, presents a promising avenue. While no Clinical psychology studies exist for this specific application, Psychedelics and Drug Studies are investigating psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy. This innovative psychological intervention, combining a psychotherapist with psilocybin (a compound from chemical synthesis), offers new hope in Psychology to revolutionize treatment where current medicine falls short.
Abstract
Methamphetamine use disorder is a chronic relapsing condition associated with substantial mental, physical, and social harms and increasing rates of mortality. Contingency management and psychotherapy interventions are the mainstays of treatment but are modestly effective with high relapse rates, while pharmacological treatments have shown little to no efficacy. Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy is emerging as a promising treatment for a range of difficult-to-treat conditions, including substance use disorders; however, no studies have yet been published looking at psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in the treatment of methamphetamine use disorder. Here we review the rationale for psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy as a potential treatment for this indication, and describe practical considerations based on our early experience designing and implementing four separate clinical trials of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for methamphetamine use disorder.