Experiences of psilocybin treatment for clinical conditions: A qualitative meta‐synthesis

Abstract

There is increasing clinical interest in the use of psilocybin. There is emerging evidence of the efficacy of psilocybin for the treatment of a range of clinical conditions. Mental health nurses have a unique set of skills for caring for people who are hallucinating. To expand these skills to meet the developing clinical interest in the therapeutic use of psilocybin, it is helpful to understand the experience from the perspective of the person being treated with psilocybin. A qualitative meta-synthesis was conducted to examine how those with psilocybin described their experiences to identify whether its effects are similar across different health conditions. Ten studies were included in the review. The health conditions studied were cancer, depression, HIV, substance use disorder, smoking cessation and trauma. The synthesis of findings identified three themes that were common across the studies despite the health condition: acceptance, connection and transformation. The review provides helpful insights into how people experience psilocybin and its effects on their health condition.

It is not and never has been just about the drug: The need to emphasise psychotherapy in psychedelic‐assisted psychotherapy

“…The phenomenology of treatment and care and a rich understanding of context is pivotal to the understated and almost always unrecognized therapeutic acumen of MHN. The recent TGA approval for the use of psychedelics and Crowe et al (2023) timely review affords an opportunity for all nurses to reconsider their psychotherapeutic role in relation to somatic treatments and for MHN psychotherapist to be recognized for their unique skill set working with people in extreme states.…”

“…We further commend Crowe et al (2023) for highlighting and describing the phenomenology or experience of taking this drug. The question 'what is it like to take this drug?'…”

“…To the editor, We wish to congratulate Crowe et al (2023) on their recent publication exploring the experience of psilocybin treatment. This paper was published a week after the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA, 2023) approved the prescription of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression by authorised psychiatrists under strict controls, acknowledging that patients may be vulnerable during 'psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy'.…”

“…The medically sanctioned therapeutic use of psychedelics and empathogens may well reflect a paradigm shift in how pharmacological treatments are viewed, and perhaps more importantly cement the importance of psychotherapy in the process of treatment. Crowe et al (2023) draw attention to the experience of being treated in controlled settings with psilocybin. The experience of being treated is related to but different from the effects of the drug consumed in recreational circumstances.…”

“…or even curiosity about the effects of drugs on individuals is almost entirely absent from the discourse and training surrounding psychopharmacology (See: Goldberg & Stahl, 2021). Crowe et al (2023) propose that their review might be useful for nurses to explain 'what it [the experience] is like' to potential recipients of psilocybin. It would be a welcome departure from existing norms if this courtesy is extended to the recipients of all psychoactive drugs (whether approved by the TGA or not).…”