title: Safety and efficacy of lysergic acid diethylamide-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety associated with life-threatening diseases.
abstract: A double-blind, randomized, active placebo-controlled pilot study was conducted to examine safety and efficacy of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)-assisted psychotherapy in 12 patients with anxiety associated with life-threatening diseases. Treatment included drug-free psychotherapy sessions supplemented by two LSD-assisted psychotherapy sessions 2 to 3 weeks apart. The participants received either 200 μg of LSD (n = 8) or 20 μg of LSD with an open-label crossover to 200 μg of LSD after the initial blinded treatment was unmasked (n = 4). At the 2-month follow-up, positive trends were found via the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) in reductions in trait anxiety (p = 0.033) with an effect size of 1.1, and state anxiety was significantly reduced (p = 0.021) with an effect size of 1.2, with no acute or chronic adverse effects persisting beyond 1 day after treatment or treatment-related serious adverse events. STAI reductions were sustained for 12 months. These results indicate that when administered safely in a methodologically rigorous medically supervised psychotherapeutic setting, LSD can reduce anxiety, suggesting that larger controlled studies are warranted.
authors.affiliation: *Medical Office for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Solothurn, Switzerland; †Department for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; ‡Statistical Consulting, Daniel Island, SC; §Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, Santa Cruz, CA; ∥Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; and ¶Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gasser
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Holstein
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: Rick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Doblin
authors.forename: Berra
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yazar-Klosinski
authors.forename: Torsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Passie
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brenneisen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008238:Lysergic Acid Diethylamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010919:Placebos; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D008238:Lysergic Acid Diethylamide