Anthropology

Psychedelic research and the real world

The problem is that in the real worldpeople with characteristics that would have excluded them from the psilocybin trial are common… exclusion criteria are not the only problematic aspectof psychedelics, however.

Another is the psychotherapeutic component of the treatment, which is currently variable, time-consuming and extensive. In the psilocybin trial mentioned… two therapists were assigned to each participant in the trial, and held preparatory sessions, further sessions after the drug was administered, and a series of follow-up calls by phone or videoconference to ensure their welfare. These components took up to 20 hours from each of two therapists. Studies of psychedelic treatment… have been based on data from “highly screened research populations, which exclude many individuals potentially at increased risk for adverse outcomes”. The only randomized controlled trial so far to compare a psychedelic (in this case, psilocybin) with a standard antidepressant demonstrates the problem. Among the exclusion criteria for the study were a personal or family history of psychosis, a history of mania, a previous serious suicide attempt requiring hospitalization, and the suspected or known presence of a pre-existing psychiatric condition, such as borderline personality disorder…

Original Article (Nature):
Psychedelic research and the real world
Artwork Fair Use: Agnes Monkelbaan

Anthropology

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