Nature-themed video intervention may improve cardiovascular safety of psilocybin-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder
Frontiers in Psychiatry September 18, 2023 Karina Sergi, Micah Linton, Rhianna Rich et al. 21 citations
A nature-themed video intervention called Visual Healing, designed to optimize the environment during psilocybin-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder, was tested in a pilot trial. Nineteen of 20 participants completed the study, and the video intervention was feasible, safe, and well-tolerated, with no video-related adverse events. During the first psilocybin session, participants viewed an average of 37.9 minutes of the 42-minute video. Peak increases in blood pressure after psilocybin were significantly smaller for those assigned to Visual Healing compared to standard procedures. Alcohol use decreased in both groups, and psychedelic effects, stress, and anxiety were similar. The intervention may reduce cardiovascular risks without interfering with treatment outcomes.