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Using a MDMA- and LSD-Group Therapy Model in Clinical Practice in Switzerland and Highlighting the Treatment of Trauma-Related Disorders.

Frontiers in psychiatry
May 5, 2022
Peter Oehen et al. (2 authors)
Journal ArticleHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of LSD in a psychedelic-assisted group therapy model for patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD) and related conditions.

Results Summary

The majority of participants showed clinical improvement, with LSD used to deepen therapeutic effects after initial MDMA-assisted therapy. No serious adverse events were reported.

Population

Patients with chronic complex PTSD, dissociative disorders, and other post-traumatic conditions.

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (12)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
psychedelic-assisted group therapy model utilizing MDMA and LSD
increase
clinical condition
patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative, and other post-traumatic disorders
-
majority of participants improved
#1
psychedelic-assisted group therapy model utilizing MDMA and LSD
no change
safety
patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative, and other post-traumatic disorders
-
no serious adverse events occurred
#2
MDMA
increase
motivation
patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative, and other post-traumatic disorders
-
enhance motivation to change
#3
MDMA
increase
therapeutic alliance
patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative, and other post-traumatic disorders
-
strengthen the therapeutic alliance
#4
MDMA
increase
therapeutic alliance resilience
patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative, and other post-traumatic disorders
-
allowing it to become more resilient
#5
MDMA
decrease
stress
patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative, and other post-traumatic disorders
-
stress-relieved
#6
MDMA
decrease
ambivalence
patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative, and other post-traumatic disorders
-
less ambivalent
#7
LSD
increase
therapeutic process
patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative, and other post-traumatic disorders
-
intensify and deepen the therapeutic process
#8
psychedelic experiences
increase
regulation of emotions and impulses
patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative, and other post-traumatic disorders
-
predominantly addressed
#9
psychedelic experiences
decrease
negative self-perception
patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative, and other post-traumatic disorders
-
predominantly addressed
#10
psychedelic experiences
increase
alterations in relationships to others
patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative, and other post-traumatic disorders
-
predominantly addressed
#11
psychedelic experiences
increase
meaning, recall, and processing of traumatic memories
patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative, and other post-traumatic disorders
-
predominantly addressed
#12
Abstract

The Swiss Federal Act on Narcotics allows for the restricted medical use of scheduled psychotropic drugs in cases of resistance to standard treatment, and preliminary evidence of efficacy of the scheduled drug for the particular condition. Since 2014, the authors have obtained 50 licenses on a case-by-case basis and developed a psychedelic-assisted group therapy model utilizing MDMA and LSD. The majority of the patients taking part in the psychedelic group therapy suffered from chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative, and other post-traumatic disorders. Treatment modalities, typical developments and problems encountered during and after the psychedelic experiences are described. Recurrent depression poses a frequent problem, and requires special attention. Symptoms of c-PTSD predominantly addressed by the psychedelic experiences are the regulation of emotions and impulses, negative self-perception, alterations in relationships to others, as well as meaning, recall, and processing of traumatic memories. C-PTSD needs a larger number of psychedelic experiences in contrast to PTSD resulting from single trauma. In this model MDMA was most often used in the first phase to enhance motivation to change, strengthen the therapeutic alliance, allowing it to become more resilient, stress-relieved and less ambivalent. When emotional self-regulation, negative self-perception and structural dissociation had also begun to improve and trauma exposure was better tolerated, LSD was introduced to intensify and deepen the therapeutic process. The majority of participants improved by clinical judgement, and no serious adverse events occurred. A short case vignette describes a typical process. The experiences with this model can serve to further develop the method of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) and to give directions for future research.

Study Links
Quality Scores
Safety85
Efficacy75/10
Quality65/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations25
Citations/Year8.3
Relative Citation Ratio3.90
NIH Percentile89.8%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.75
Weight Score2.50
Normalized Score0.77
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