Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 1, 2023
V. Tsang, Dragos C Razagan, P. Kryskow et al.
10 citations
Depression, anxiety, and PTSD are rising among healthcare providers, and conventional treatments have limited effectiveness. A 12-week pilot program combined a Community of Practice (CoP) group therapy with optional ketamine sessions for 57 healthcare providers. Symptoms were measured before and after the program. All participants showed significant reductions: depression scores dropped by an average of 6.79 points, anxiety by 5.57 points, and PTSD by 14.83 points. Those who also received ketamine had larger reductions, but the difference was not statistically significant, suggesting the group therapy itself drove the improvement.
European Psychiatry
March 1, 2023
V. W. L. Tsang, R. Moyer, P. Kryskow et al.
2 citations
A group therapy program called Roots to Thrive (RTT) produced significant reductions in PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms among 49 healthcare practitioners with treatment-resistant mental health conditions. Participants' average PTSD scores dropped from 39.3 to 20.99, depression scores from 15.5 to 7.7, and anxiety scores from 15.5 to 6.2 over 12 weeks. Adding ketamine-assisted therapy did not lead to statistically greater improvements than the group therapy alone. The findings suggest that the group therapy model itself may be effective, and that the role of ketamine in this context requires further investigation.
European Psychiatry
April 1, 2024
S. Dames, C. Watler, P. Kryskow et al.
1 citation
Incorporating personal experience with non-ordinary states of consciousness into training for Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (PaT) may benefit therapists by increasing comfort, self-assurance, and confidence in supporting others in such states. Experts note that therapists lacking lived experience may hold unrealistic expectations, overlook the importance of set and setting, or misunderstand the experience. The authors review arguments for and against including experiential training, acknowledging their own potential bias from personal experience. They emphasize that whether or not therapists undergo such training, maintaining personal wellness practices is essential to prevent burnout and secondary mental health consequences for both patients and providers. Cultivating a culture of self-care in mental health training and professional organizations is an urgent priority.
European Psychiatry
March 1, 2023
V. W. L. Tsang, B. Tao, S. Dames et al.
1 citation
In a community-based ketamine-assisted therapy program (Roots to Thrive), 128 participants received 351 intramuscular injections (average 103 mg) and 96 sublingual doses (average 277 mg) over 12 weeks, alongside group therapy. Elevated blood pressure occurred transiently in about 12% more sessions than at baseline, with similar rates for both administration routes. Nausea was the most common side effect (12% of sessions), followed by headache (3%), vomiting (2.5%), and dizziness (seven sessions). Past psychedelic use or psychiatric diagnosis did not predict adverse events, but male participants had significantly less nausea. The program had no dropouts, suggesting good safety and tolerability.