APC: Psychedelic Facilitated Psychotherapy for Addiction-Psychedelic Treatments for Substance Use Disorder and Substance Misuse A Mixed Methods Systematic Review

Psychedelic Treatments for Substance Use Disorder and Substance Misuse A Mixed Methods Systematic Review

Pdf Summary

A systematic review was conducted to assess the effectiveness of psychedelic treatments for substance use disorders (SUD) and substance misuse. The review included seven studies that investigated the use of psychedelics such as psilocybin, ibogaine, and ayahuasca, alone or in combination with psychotherapy. The results showed that psychedelic treatments were associated with positive outcomes in terms of abstinence, substance use reduction, psychological well-being, and reduced craving and withdrawal symptoms. However, the data was limited and focused primarily on alcohol and opioid use disorders, with few studies examining a wide range of addictions. The review found that there is currently insufficient research evidence to suggest the effectiveness of any specific psychedelic treatment for substance use disorder or substance misuse. Further research using rigorous evaluation methods with larger sample sizes and longer-term follow-up is needed. Psilocybin was found to have the most favorable safety profile and demonstrated potential effectiveness in alcohol use disorder. Ibogaine and ayahuasca also showed promise in opioid use disorder and substance use in general, respectively. However, safety concerns and limited availability of these substances need to be considered. The review highlights the need for more studies to explore the potential of psychedelic treatments for a wider range of substances and to better understand their mechanisms of action and long-term effects. Clinicians should be aware of the limited evidence and ongoing research in this field when advising patients.

Keywords

systematic review

psychedelic treatments

substance use disorders

psilocybin

ibogaine

ayahuasca

abstinence

psychological well-being

alcohol use disorder

opioid use disorder