Long-term follow-up of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for psychiatric and existential distress in patients with life-threatening cancer
Journal of Psychopharmacology January 9, 2020 Gabrielle Agin-Liebes, Tara C. Malone, Matthew M. Yalch et al. 353 citations
A long-term follow-up of a randomized trial found that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy produced lasting reductions in anxiety, depression, hopelessness, demoralization, and death anxiety in people with cancer-related psychiatric distress. At an average of 3.2 and 4.5 years after psilocybin administration, 60–80% of participants still showed clinically significant antidepressant or anxiolytic responses. Most participants (71–100%) attributed positive life changes to the therapy and rated it among the most personally meaningful and spiritually significant experiences of their lives. The study's conclusions are limited by the crossover design of the original trial, but the results suggest psilocybin-assisted therapy may promote long-term relief from cancer-related distress.