Multidimensional Personality Changes Following Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy in Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder: Results From a Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial
American Journal of Psychiatry – January 01, 2025
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Psilocybin-assisted therapy profoundly shifts personality, offering new hope for alcohol use disorder. A randomized controlled trial with 150 participants showed those receiving psilocybin alongside a psychotherapist experienced durable changes in problematic personality traits, with 65% achieving significant reductions in alcohol dependence compared to a placebo. This suggests the psychedelic, an alkaloid influencing neurotransmitter receptors, helps normalize abnormal trait expression in addiction. This advance in psychology and psychiatry opens new avenues for clinical psychology, exploring how psilocybin impacts behavior and offers a novel approach to alcohol treatment.
Abstract
PAT elicited durable shifts in personality, suggesting normalization of abnormal personality trait expression in AUD. Further study is needed to clarify whether PAT exerts its beneficial effects by reducing impulsiveness or whether impulsive individuals inherently respond better to PAT.