Psychedelics may better treat depression and anxiety symptoms than prescription antidepressants for patients with advanced cancer

In people with advanced cancer, psychedelic drugs like psilocybin, LSD and MDMA may significantly reduce the severity of depression and anxiety symptoms.

Metadata
Provider: 
The ConversationThe Conversation
URL: 
https://theconversation.com/psychedelics-may-better-treat-depression-and-anxiety-symptoms-than-prescription-antidepressants-for-patients-with-advanced-cancer-201937https://theconversation.com/psychedelics-may-better-treat-depression-and-anxiety-symptoms-than-prescription-antidepressants-for-patients-with-advanced-cancer-201937
Retrieved on: 
Lunedì, Aprile 17, 2023
Information
Tags: 
People, Psilocybin, Blood pressure, Review, Trauma, Escitalopram, Drug, Drug Enforcement Administration, Depression, Paroxetine, Senior counsel, Anxiety, Placebo, Cancer, Ground substance, Schedule 1, Research, Emotion, LSD, Meta-analysis, History, Fluoxetine, Schedule, Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007, Patient, Catharsis, Grammatical mood, Caregiver, FDA, Bias, MDMA, Food, PTSD, Pharmaceutical industry, Nightclub, Meat, Cannabidiol
Sommario
Key Points: 
  • In people with advanced cancer, psychedelic drugs like psilocybin, LSD and MDMA may significantly reduce the severity of depression and anxiety symptoms.
  • However, current research suggests that available prescription antidepressants do not significantly decrease depressive symptoms in cancer patients compared with a placebo.
  • My team and I recently completed a meta-analysis of five clinical trials examining anxiety and depression symptoms in patients with advanced forms of cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Psychedelics and trauma

    • People who develop PTSD from military service or physical or sexual violence commonly experience depression and anxiety.
    • Based on this research, my team and I hypothesize that psychedelic sessions might have an advantage over traditional prescription antidepressants for patients with cancer-related depression or anxiety because it may help them deal with their underlying trauma.
    • Patients stated that the psychedelic sessions helped them process the intense feelings they were repressing without being overwhelmed.

Unknowns in psychedelic therapy

    • A number of the advanced cancer studies we examined included people with a history of psychedelic use.
    • People with prior positive recreational psychedelic experiences may be more likely to participate in these studies than those who experienced a “bad trip” or were opposed to recreational drugs altogether.
    • Additionally, even though the placebo was made to look identical, it is unlikely that patients or caregivers were fooled if it did not elicit a psychedelic effect.

Next steps for psychedelics

    • More research is needed on effectiveness of psychedelics to treat anxiety and depression in cancer patients.
    • Exploring psychedelic treatments for patients with other life-threatening diseases that cause trauma, anxiety or depression could clarify their potential therapeutic benefits.
    • Were the Food and Drug Administration to approve psychedelics for this kind of use, the agency would need to figure out how these psychedelics can be used legally.
Copyright: 
2023 The Conversation. All Rights Reserved.