Journal of palliative medicine
August 1, 2022
William E Rosa, Zachary Sager, Megan Miller et al.
49 citations
Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is a promising treatment for conditions like treatment-resistant depression, substance use disorder, and PTSD. In palliative care, a single PAT session can produce lasting reductions in anxiety, depression, and demoralization—symptoms that harm quality of life for seriously ill and end-of-life patients. Although interest in psychedelics has revived, few resources exist for applying PAT in hospice and palliative care. This article provides 10 evidence-informed tips for palliative care clinicians, developed with international experts, to help familiarize teams with PAT, address legal and logistical barriers, discuss therapeutic competencies, and highlight approaches to maximize safety and benefits for patients and caregivers.
Journal of Holistic Nursing
September 6, 2021
Rebecca H Lehto, Megan Miller, Jessica Sender
16 citations
Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy shows promise for patients with cancer who experience persistent existential suffering, even when standard treatments have failed. A scoping review of eight studies found that most patients reported positive experiences, including themes of death acceptance, reflection, and broadened spirituality. The therapy, which uses a naturally occurring compound from certain mushrooms to induce an altered state of consciousness, is still in early clinical testing. Reed's Self-Transcendence Theory offers a framework for understanding existential concerns in patients facing life-threatening illness. Future work must tailor the intervention to select patients and involve clinicians in assessing outcomes.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
September 1, 2023
Megan Miller, William E Rosa, Alden Doerner Rinaldi et al.
9 citations
Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) and hospice/palliative care share deep synergies that could help integrate PAT into mainstream health systems. Hospice and palliative care, though now evidence-based standards, began as grassroots movements. Their holistic, interdisciplinary, relationship-centered, and spiritually attuned models offer practical lessons for scaling human-centered PAT. Key aspects include interdisciplinary care, holistic views of health, bearing witness to suffering, customized care, decentralized models, generalist/specialist competencies, fostering spirituality, and growth from community organizations to mature systems. Conversely, PAT's radical emphasis on meaning-making and relationship may also innovate hospice and palliative care.
Journal of hospice and palliative nursing : JHPN : the official journal of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association
April 1, 2025
Megan Miller, Molly Meyers, Annona Martin et al.
3 citations
A rapid review of 34 articles from 2021 to 2024 finds that psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is safe and shows initial efficacy for improving psycho-spiritual-existential outcomes in carefully screened patients with serious illness, predominantly cancer. Psilocybin was the most studied compound. Protocols commonly included participant screening, preparation, dosing, and integration. The review highlights current efforts and challenges in integrating PAT into palliative care systems. More research is needed with diverse samples, provider training, care delivery models, and policy solutions. Many patients lack basic psychosocial-spiritual-existential care, so careful integration is essential. The psychedelic substances discussed are not FDA approved.
Addiction (Abingdon, England)
January 16, 2025
Noa Krawczyk, Megan Miller, Emma Yuanqi Gu et al.
2 citations
People in online opioid-use-disorder communities hold diverse views on using psychedelics to manage opioid use. Many report that psychedelics reduce physical dependence symptoms, shift motivations away from opioids, and address underlying mental health issues. Others see the promise as exaggerated, noting that many eventually return to opioid use or consider psychedelics dangerous. The findings underscore an urgent need for controlled studies to understand psychedelics' effects on opioid use, their integration with existing treatments, and safety strategies.