Psilocybin-Assisted suppoRtive psychoTherapy IN the treatment of prolonged Grief (PARTING) trial: protocol for an open-label pilot trial for cancer-related bereavement
BMJ Open April 1, 2025 Vanessa L. Beesley, Tom Kennedy, Fiona Maccallum et al. 2 citations
Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) affects up to 30% of bereaved carers in oncology settings, and current treatments fail up to half of participants. The PARTING trial is the first to test psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for cancer-related PGD. In this open-label pilot, about 15 participants receive a 25 mg dose of psilocybin with supportive guidance, plus preparation and integration sessions delivered by a psychologist and a nurse or Indigenous Therapist. Feasibility, safety, and acceptability are assessed through recruitment rates, adverse events, physiological measures, and qualitative interviews. Quantitative measures include grief severity, depression, anxiety, and quality of life over a 12-month follow-up.