Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: hope and dilemma
The Lancet Regional Health – Europe
The Lancet Regional Health - Europe September 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2023.100727 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractPsychedelic-assisted psychotherapy combines psychedelic drugs with talk therapy to treat post-traumatic stress disorder and treatment-resistant depression. This approach more directly alters brain activity than current depression treatments, producing profound insights, emotional release, and cognitive shifts. It requires fewer sessions—often just one—and an unpublished study found sustained remission of depression 18 months after a single treatment.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy |
| Duration | 18-month follow-up |
| Keywords | Dilemma Psychotherapist Psychology Psychoanalysis Epistemology |
| Citations | 10 |
| Key finding | Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy requires fewer treatment regimens than current depression therapies and, in an unpublished study, produced sustained remission of depression at 18 months following a single treatment. |
Abstract
Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: hope and dilemmaPsychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is an emerging therapeutic approach that combines the use of psychedelics (a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs) and psychotherapy for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and treatment-resistant depression.Compared with current treatments for depression, psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy has a more direct impact on brain activity, which can result in profound insights and promote introspection, emotional release, and cognitive shifts.Most importantly, it requires fewer treatment regimens, often just one, and in a yet-to-bepublished study, the therapeutic benefits have been shown to result in sustained remission of depression at 18 months following a single treatment.