Exploring the role of psychedelic-assisted therapy in enhancing spirituality and mystical experiences in patients with life-threatening illnesses: A systematic review

IF 3.5 2区医学 Q2 PSYCHIATRY

Journal of Psychosomatic Research Pub Date : 2025-02-01 DOI:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2024.112020

Ana Esteves Ferreira , Paulo Reis-Pina

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Introduction

Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (PAT) is gaining traction as a novel approach to addressing the psychological and existential distress experienced by patients.

Objectives

This systematic review aimed to investigate the impact of PAT on spirituality, mystical experiences, and spiritual well-being (SpWB) in patients with life-threatening, incurable, or terminal illnesses.

Methods

A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases to identify relevant studies published between 2013 and 2023. The study population comprised patients diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. Various forms of PAT, encompassing both typical and atypical psychedelic substances, were considered as interventions, with no specific comparators outlined. The primary outcomes of interest included spirituality, mystical experience, and SpWB. Risk of bias assessment was performed using Cochrane's tools.

Results

Six studies with a high risk of bias were included in the review, all conducted in the United States of America, involving 140 patients, the majority of whom had cancer (99 %). PAT, especially with psilocybin, demonstrated significant enhancements in spirituality, mystical experiences, and SpWB. Notably, SpWB showed improvements in all studies which assessed this spiritual outcome following PAT. Mystical experiences were correlated with improvements in spirituality in one study.

Conclusions

This systematic review underscores the potential of PAT to address unmet spiritual needs and enhance SpWB in patients with life-threatening illnesses. However, further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying these therapeutic effects. Rigorous evaluation of healthcare practitioners' role in guiding patients through PAT protocols is essential to ensure safe and effective implementation in palliative care settings.

查看原文本刊更多论文

探索致幻剂辅助治疗在提高精神和神秘体验对危及生命的疾病患者的作用：一个系统的回顾。

导读：迷幻辅助疗法（PAT）作为一种解决患者心理和存在痛苦的新方法正在获得关注。目的：本系统综述旨在探讨PAT对生命垂危、不治之症或绝症患者的灵性、神秘体验和精神健康（SpWB）的影响。方法：综合检索PubMed、Web of Science和Cochrane数据库，确定2013年至2023年间发表的相关研究。研究人群包括被诊断患有危及生命疾病的患者。包括典型和非典型致幻剂在内的各种形式的PAT被认为是干预措施，但没有列出具体的比较物。主要研究结果包括灵性、神秘体验和SpWB。使用Cochrane工具进行偏倚风险评估。结果：本综述纳入了6项高偏倚风险的研究，均在美国进行，涉及140例患者，其中大多数患有癌症（99%）。PAT，尤其是裸盖菇素，在灵性、神秘体验和SpWB方面表现出显著的增强。值得注意的是，SpWB在所有评估PAT后精神结果的研究中都有改善。在一项研究中，神秘体验与灵性的提升有关。结论：本系统综述强调了PAT在解决生命威胁疾病患者未满足的精神需求和增强SpWB方面的潜力。然而，需要进一步的研究来阐明这些治疗作用的机制。严格评估医疗从业者在指导患者通过PAT协议方面的作用，对于确保在姑息治疗环境中安全有效地实施至关重要。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Psychosomatic Research 医学-精神病学

CiteScore

7.40

自引率

6.40%

发文量

314

审稿时长

6.2 weeks

期刊介绍： The Journal of Psychosomatic Research is a multidisciplinary research journal covering all aspects of the relationships between psychology and medicine. The scope is broad and ranges from basic human biological and psychological research to evaluations of treatment and services. Papers will normally be concerned with illness or patients rather than studies of healthy populations. Studies concerning special populations, such as the elderly and children and adolescents, are welcome. In addition to peer-reviewed original papers, the journal publishes editorials, reviews, and other papers related to the journal''s aims.