DPT as an Adjunct in Brief Psychotherapy with Cancer Patients
William A. Richards, John C. Rhead, Stanislav Grof, Louis E. Goodman, Francesco Di Leo, Lockwood Rush
OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying February 1, 1980 DOI: 10.2190/ngub-v4rm-t7dc-xth3
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA pilot project with thirty cancer patients experiencing psychological distress combined about twelve hours of conventional verbal psychotherapy over four weeks with a single intensive drug-assisted therapy session using dipropyltryptamine (DPT), a short-acting psychedelic. Analysis of psychological tests and independent ratings before and after the intervention suggests the total therapeutic approach enhances quality of life. The text discusses the relative merits of DPT compared to LSD and the need for a controlled study.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Pilot project Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Cancer patients suffering from psychological distress |
| Interventions | individual psychotherapy conventional verbal interaction dipropyltryptamine (DPT) |
| Duration | Four-week period |
| Topics | Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Dpt therapy Drug-assisted therapy Psychedelic treatment Psychedelic intervention |
| Citations | 20 |
| Key finding | The combined therapeutic approach of conventional verbal psychotherapy and a single DPT-assisted session suggests enhanced quality of life for cancer patients. |
Abstract
Thirty cancer patients suffering from psychological distress participated in a pilot project of individual psychotherapy that offered – over a four week period of time – approximately twelve hours of conventional verbal interaction and a single intensive drug-assisted therapy session that employed dipropyltryptamine (DPT), a short-acting psychedelic drug. The efficacy of the total therapeutic approach in enhancing the quality of life is indicated by the analysis of data from psychological tests and independent ratings completed before and after the treatment intervention. The relative merits of DPT in comparison with LSD and the need to pursue a controlled study are discussed.