Experiences of psilocybin treatment for clinical conditions: A qualitative meta‐synthesis

People treated with psilocybin across various health conditions—cancer, depression, HIV, substance use disorder, smoking cessation, and trauma—describe their experiences in three common themes: acceptance, connection, and transformation. A qualitative meta-synthesis of ten studies found that these themes emerged regardless of the specific health condition being treated. The review offers insights into the subjective experience of psilocybin and its effects on health, helping mental health nurses and other clinicians understand the therapeutic process from the patient's perspective.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract There is increasing clinical interest in the use of psilocybin. There is emerging evidence of the efficacy of psilocybin for the treatment of a range of clinical conditions. Mental health nurses have a unique set of skills for caring for people who are hallucinating. To expand these skills to meet the developing clinical interest in the therapeutic use of psilocybin, it is helpful to understand the experience from the perspective of the person being treated with psilocybin. A qualitative meta‐synthesis was conducted to examine how those with psilocybin described their experiences to identify whether its effects are similar across different health conditions. Ten studies were included in the review. The health conditions studied were cancer, depression, HIV, substance use disorder, smoking cessation and trauma. The synthesis of findings identified three themes that were common across the studies despite the health condition: acceptance, connection and transformation. The review provides helpful insights into how people experience psilocybin and its effects on their health condition.