Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and associated trauma and stressor-related disorders are common and debilitating, presenting significant treatment challenges due to their complex interplay of biological, cognitive, affective, somatic and social factors. Current treatments, while advancing and effective, yield limited efficacy for many individuals, unde...
Australia has become the first country to approve the use of psychedelics, namely MDMA and psilocybin, for clinical treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and treatment-resistant depression. Here, we briefly explore the history of its use, how it works, and the hope it may provide people receiving end-of-life care.
Psychedelic substances are increasingly recognized for their therapeutic potential to ease psychological suffering linked to end-of-life issues. However, amid renewed scientific and public interest, policy remains restrictive. Existing reviews have made progress in synthesizing the results of studies of psychedelic interventions, especially psilocybin, and p...
Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy represents a promising addition to palliative care interventions, potentially improving quality of life by addressing existential distress. Despite its safety and effectiveness, this therapy remains limited in Canada, underscoring the need for improved access to ease suffering from life-threatening illnesses. However, import...
The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current findings and data on the therapeutic effects of psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic alkaloid primarily found in Psilocybe mushrooms. This review covers psilocybin's efficacy and safety profile, therapeutic effects, proposed indications and contraindications, drug-drug ...
The serotonergic psychedelics psilocybin, LSD and DMT hold great promise for the development of new treatments for psychiatric conditions such as major depressive disorder, addiction and end-of-life anxiety. Previous studies in both animals and humans have confirmed the effects of these drugs on neuronal activity and plasticity. However, the understanding of...
The incidence of mental health disorders is increasing worldwide. While there are multiple factors contributing to this problem, neuroinflammation underlies a significant subset of psychiatric conditions, particularly major depressive and anxiety disorders. Anti-inflammatory interventions have demonstrated benefit in these conditions. Psilocin, the active in...
Since physician-assisted dying (PAD) has become a part of the clinical dialogue in the United States (US) and other Western countries, it has spawned controversy in the moral, ethical, and legal realm, with significant cross-country variation. The phenomenon of PAD includes 2 practices: Euthanasia and medical aid in dying (MAiD). Although euthanasia has been...
This Comment explores the legal, ethical, and regulatory challenges surrounding the use of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for terminally ill patients under the federal Right to Try (RTT) Act. While psychedelics like psilocybin are demonstrating extraordinary therapeutic potential, particularly in easing end-of-life psychological distress, patients remain ...
Patients with a life-threatening disease (LTD) sometimes suffer from end-of-life distress (EOLD) which refers to the physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual suffering related to chronic illness and the possibility of death. Palliative care interventions seek to improve the quality of life of patients with EOLD and their significant others. Currentl...
Music has been identified as a central feature of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) and has hitherto been understood to amplify the psychedelic experience in a predictable way that has been codified into music recommendations and playlists. To re-evaluate the nature and role of music within the participant's world during psychedelic-assisted psychothe...
Psychedelic treatment with psilocybin is receiving increased attention following clinical trials showing it may help treat end-of-life anxiety, depression, and several other conditions. Despite this, physicians may be reluctant to prescribe psilocybin and carry out psilocybin treatment because of the stigma surrounding psychedelics and the potential for medi...
Background: Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is experiencing a resurgence, with expanding evidence proving its efficacy for treatment-resistant psychiatric-mental health conditions. Psychiatric-mental health nurses (PMHNs) are uniquely positioned to provide PAT due to their integrated care capabilities, yet their roles are poorly defined. Aim: This review ...
Known for their capacity to alter perception and consciousness, psychedelics are increasingly being explored for therapeutic applications in treating conditions such chronic pain, major depressive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.1,2 Despite historical stigmas and legal restrictions, recent changes in legislation and the United States Food and Dr...
BackgroundThe interest in psychedelics as a therapeutic intervention for existential distress of people with terminal illness grounds on their mechanism of action and effect on the spiritual/existential aspects accompanying end-of-life experiences.AimsThis systematic review and network meta-analysis aimed at examining the efficacy and safety of psychedelic c...
Therapeutic claims about many psychedelic drugs have not been evaluated in any studies of even modest rigor. The science of psychedelic drugs is strengthening, however, making it easier to differentiate some promising findings amid the hype that suffuses this research area. Ketamine has risks of adverse side effects (e.g., addiction and cystitis), but multip...
Abstract Interest in psychedelic research in the West is surging, however, clinical trials have almost exclusively studied synthetic compounds such as MDMA, ketamine, DMT, LSD, ibogaine, and psilocybin. To date, few clinical trials have utilized whole mushroom/plant material like Psilocybe mushrooms, Iboga, or Ayahuasca. Individuals participating in the Root...
OBJECTIVES: Promising studies show that psilocybin-assisted therapy relieves existential distress in patients with serious illnesses, a difficult condition to treat with current treatment options. There is growing interest in this therapy in palliative care. Canada recently amended its laws to allow physicians to request psilocybin for end-of-life distress. ...
Introduction:Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) has gained traction in palliative care as a treatment for existential distress in the last decade. Patients with brain cancer have been excluded from studies, yet they stand to benefit as much as other patients with cancer-related psychological distress. Case description:In this report, we discuss the case of a ...
The goal of this multi-centre phase I/II open-label, single-arm study is to determine the safety, feasibility, therapeutic dose, and preliminary efficacy of psilocybin microdosing to treat psychological distress among patients with advanced illness. Forty patients will receive psilocybin drug product (1-3mg per day, Mon-Fri) for 4 weeks to be administered vi...
