Qualitative Research on Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Mental Disorders: A Scoping Review

A systematic review of qualitative studies on psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) for mental disorders found 13 studies covering depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma- and stressor-related disorders, alcohol-use disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anorexia nervosa. The studies explored 12 topics from pre- to postintervention experiences, mostly using semi-structured interviews with interpretative phenomenological analysis or thematic analysis. The review identifies opportunities for future research, including covering a broader range of mental disorders, exploring longer-term outcomes, sustainability of effects, postintervention support, adverse experiences, comparing active and control group experiences, and including therapist and significant other perspectives with larger sample sizes.

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Abstract

Background: Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) may be an effective intervention for a range of mental disorders. However, there appears to be a relative lack of qualitative evidence to complement emerging quantitative findings. To our knowledge, no reviews have systematically mapped the literature on qualitative studies on PAP for the treatment of mental disorders with the intent to identify opportunities for future research. Aims: To assess the scope of qualitative research on PAP for mental disorders, identify research trends, and highlight future opportunities. Methods: We conducted a systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and PsycNET for qualitative studies of adults (18 years and older) with a mental disorder who received PAP in controlled research settings. The search was limited to peer review articles, without time limitations. Results: A total of 13 qualitative studies were identified, which included participants with depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma- and stressor-related disorders, alcohol-use disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anorexia nervosa. The studies explored 12 topics, ranging from pre- to postintervention experiences. Most studies used semi-structured interviews and used interpretative phenomenological analysis or thematic analysis. Conclusions: This review provides information to researchers and clinicians to guide future qualitative investigations that will complement and enhance the field’s understanding of PAP in treating mental disorders. Opportunities include covering a broader range of mental disorders; exploring longer term outcomes, the sustainability of effects, postintervention support, and adverse experiences; comparing active and control group experiences; exploring therapist and significant other perspectives; and increasing sample sizes.