JAMA psychiatry
July 1, 2023
Roman Palitsky, Deanna M Kaplan, Caroline Peacock et al.
86 citations
Spiritual, existential, religious, and theological components are important in psychedelic-assisted therapy, but they have not been systematically integrated into clinical practice. Research shows that spiritually integrated psychotherapies are effective and produce additional benefits on spiritually relevant outcomes, which are particularly relevant to psychedelic therapy. Established standards in spiritually integrated psychotherapy can be applied to psychedelic-assisted therapy. Integrating these topics is needed for culturally competent, evidence-based treatment aligned with high clinical standards, and neglecting them may undermine treatment success and increase risks for patients.
Psychotherapy
January 13, 2025
Roman Palitsky, Jessica L Maples-Keller, Caroline Peacock et al.
13 citations
In an open-label trial of psilocybin-assisted therapy for cancer-related demoralization and chronic pain, patients, facilitators, and caregivers identified key components and improvements for the treatment protocol. Using the Enhanced Critical Incident Technique, interviews revealed critical incidents, wish list items, and contributing factors related to therapy aspects like intention-setting and overall protocol transitions. The findings emphasize tailoring treatment to individual medical history, supporting common therapeutic factors, and ensuring collaborative care. Nine topic areas for protocol improvement emerged from the data.
PloS one
January 1, 2025
Nicholas K Canby, Elizabeth A Cosby, Roman Palitsky et al.
10 citations
Childhood trauma and PTSD symptoms are linked to worse depression outcomes and more meditation-related adverse effects in mindfulness-based programs. Across two clinical trials, total childhood trauma and childhood sexual abuse consistently predicted poorer depression outcomes. Childhood sexual abuse also predicted dropout in one study. Multiple forms of trauma and PTSD symptoms predicted meditation-related side effects, while total trauma, emotional abuse, and subclinical PTSD predicted lasting adverse effects. These findings suggest that trauma-sensitive modifications, safety monitoring, screening, and provider education are needed when implementing mindfulness programs for depression.
International review of psychiatry (Abingdon, England)
December 1, 2024
Roman Palitsky, Nicholas K Canby, Nicholas T Van Dam et al.
6 citations
Research on adverse effects (AEs) of psychedelics has been limited, leading to underspecified profiles and potential undercounting. This article argues that meditation-related AE research, which shares phenomenological and contextual features with psychedelic AEs, offers valuable insights. An integrative review of both fields is presented, recommending that meditation AEs serve as a comparator condition. The authors propose adopting detailed, comprehensive, user-informed, impact-based, standardized, unbiased, and representative measures of AEs, along with examining factors that influence their impacts and trajectories, to advance psychedelic AE research.
Psychotherapy (Chicago, Ill.)
June 1, 2026
Roman Palitsky, Laura E Captari, Jessica L Maples-Keller et al.
3 citations
The relational spirituality model (RSM) provides a framework for developing spiritual and religious competence in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies. Psychedelic-assisted therapies can provoke personally meaningful spiritual or existential experiences linked to improved outcomes. The RSM's inclusive spiritual, existential, religious, and theological approach offers a pluralistic way to engage diverse traditions in therapy. The article describes the RSM and introduces pragmatic training methods—deliberate practice, experiential components, SERT groups, and assessment training—that can be integrated into existing mental health or psychedelic therapy training programs. It also discusses how the RSM can inform interdisciplinary collaborations across disciplines and healing communities.
The American journal of orthopsychiatry
March 24, 2025
Matthew J Lyons, Deanna M Kaplan, Sarah H Cross et al.
1 citation
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) show promise for improving health outcomes, but their effectiveness varies significantly across populations. In low-resource settings, focusing solely on individual change overlooks critical structural issues affecting health. With a call to action for community ownership and engagement, it’s essential to address inequities in power and incorporate cross-sector collaboration. By centering community-defined needs and integrating complementary interventions, MBIs can better serve vulnerable populations, potentially leading to significant positive social change and improved health outcomes for those most in need.