Psychedelics, palliative care & spiritual health: pilot psilocybin-assisted therapy clinical trial
This is a presentation recorded at the 2023 joint conference of the Society for Economic Botany and Society of Ethnobiology, held at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia from June 4-9, 2023.
#ethnobotany #ethnobiology #science
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Psychedelics, palliative care, and spiritual health: a pilot psilocybin-assisted therapy clinical trial at Emory
Ali John Zarrabi
Psychedelic-assisted therapy for individuals with serious, life-threatening illnesses is an emerging field with numerous trials underway in the United States. These studies typically assess the impact of psilocybin – a natural alkaloid found in several species of psychoactive fungi – on outcomes such as demoralization, existential anxiety, and pain. These studies follow promising results on the salutary effects of psychedelics mediated, in part, by mystical-type experiences. In this presentation, I will present the rationale, protocol, and preliminary findings of Emory’s first investigator-initiated phase 1 trial investigating psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for cancer patients. The innovation of this trial is its use of a triadic model of care involving the cancer patient, psychotherapist, and spiritual health clinician (i.e., chaplain) to support the emotional and metaphysical needs of patients through preparation, psilocybin dosing, and integration of their experience. This triad is buttressed by palliative care physicians, nurses, and social workers who further support patients with their physical and social needs to provide comprehensive supportive care. Finally, I will describe this study’s place within the context of the “psychedelic chaplaincy” movement and emphasize the successes and challenges of developing this study to support the future work of investigators in this field.
This is a presentation recorded at the 2023 joint conference of the Society for Economic Botany and Society of Ethnobiology, held at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia from June 4-9, 2023.
#ethnobotany #ethnobiology #science
***
Psychedelics, palliative care, and spiritual health: a pilot psilocybin-assisted therapy clinical trial at Emory
Ali John Zarrabi
Psychedelic-assisted therapy for individuals with serious, life-threatening illnesses is an emerging field with numerous trials underway in the United States. These studies typically assess the impact of psilocybin – a natural alkaloid found in several species of psychoactive fungi – on outcomes such as demoralization, existential anxiety, and pain. These studies follow promising results on the salutary effects of psychedelics mediated, in part, by mystical-type experiences. In this presentation, I will present the rationale, protocol, and preliminary findings of Emory’s first investigator-initiated phase 1 trial investigating psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for cancer patients. The innovation of this trial is its use of a triadic model of care involving the cancer patient, psychotherapist, and spiritual health clinician (i.e., chaplain) to support the emotional and metaphysical needs of patients through preparation, psilocybin dosing, and integration of their experience. This triad is buttressed by palliative care physicians, nurses, and social workers who further support patients with their physical and social needs to provide comprehensive supportive care. Finally, I will describe this study’s place within the context of the “psychedelic chaplaincy” movement and emphasize the successes and challenges of developing this study to support the future work of investigators in this field.
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