Mindfulness-Based Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy (MB-PAT) for cancer-related demoralization in Canada: the case for a hybrid group-based delivery model
Christopher P. Albertyn, Jeremie Richard, Ron Joseph Shore et al. preprint
Demoralization syndrome affects about one in five Canadians with advanced cancer, marked by helplessness, hopelessness, and loss of meaning, and is linked to a greater desire for hastened death and worse outcomes, but it is underrecognized and undertreated. Pharmacological treatments fail to address its existential roots, and psychosocial therapies are underfunded and not universally effective. Mindfulness-Based Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy (MB-PAT) combines mindfulness training with psilocybin's neuroplastic effects, but its traditional one-on-one delivery limits scalability. The authors argue that group-based MB-PAT could bridge this gap by leveraging existing group therapy infrastructure and therapist familiarity with mindfulness, offering a scalable, equity-focused model for publicly funded Canadian oncology. The Canadian Network for Psychedelic-Assisted Cancer Therapy (CAN-PACT) is highlighted as a key initiative to generate evidence and capacity.