Psilocybin Group Therapy May Reduce Depression in People With Cancer

Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is typically provided in a private setting involving one patient and two therapists. Asmall study described today inCancer suggests a single session of psilocybin-assisted therapy delivered in a group setting can significantly reduce depressive symptoms in patients with cancer for up to eight weeks with minimal side effects.“Approximately 25% to 33% of patients with cancer meet criteria for clinically significant depressive symptoms, which are associated with lower treatment adherence, reduced quality of life, and higher rates of mortality,” wrote Manish Agrawal, M.D., CEO and Co-founder of Sunstone Therapeutics in Rockville, Md., and colleagues. Partial funding for this trial was provided byCompass Pathways, and some of the authors of theCancer report hold Compass Pathways stock.For the open-label study, the researchers recruited adults with cancer and major depression. Adults with depression with psychotic features and/or suicidal thoughts were excluded, as were those who were taking antidepressants, antipsychotics, and/or medical cannabis. Participants who had curable and noncurable cancer were included in the study.A total of 30 participants (average age 56 years, predominantly women) were divided into three- or four-person groups. All groups received the following:One two-hour individual therapy session, where participants got to know their assigned therapist, were educated about what to expect with psilocybin therapy, and coping st...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: cancer cancer diagnosis depression MADRS psilocybin psychedelics Source Type: research