Self-compassion, emotional regulation, and feelings of connectedness may contribute to the effectiveness of treatment
Fluence, an educational platform specializing in training and certification for psychedelic therapies, is pleased to announce the publication of an analysis titled “Reports of Self-Compassion and Affect Regulation in Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy for Alcohol Use Disorder: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis” in the peer-reviewed journal Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, published by the American Psychological Association.
The contents of the analysis detail the links between subjective and clinical effects of psilocybin-assisted therapy for Alcohol Use Disorder, and are intended to further the discussion of the causal relationship between the psychological impact of psychedelic experiences and their therapeutic impact.
In addition to Fluence Co-Founder and Chief Visionary Officer Elizabeth Nielson, PhD, the article’s authors include Gabrielle I. Agin-Liebes, PhD (University of California, San Francisco, Neuroscape), Michael Zingman, MD, MPH (New York University), Katherine Kim, MD (New York University), Alexandra Haas, MA (University of California, San Francisco), Lindsey T. Owens, MA (New York University, University of Alabama, Birmingham), Ursula Rogers, PhD (New York University), and Michael P. Bogenschutz, MD (New York University).
The investigators analyzed qualitative interview data from 13 volunteers who had participated in the first double-blind randomized clinical trial of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy to treat alcohol or substance use disorder, and the second largest psilocybin therapy clinical trial conducted to date, published in August 2022 in JAMA Psychiatry. The results contribute to the emerging evidence base for psychedelic therapies and provide insight into the emotional and cognitive processes involved in psilocybin-assisted therapy to treat alcohol use disorder.
“Qualitative research gives us a direct understanding of the lived experience of psychedelic therapy clinical trial participants, from their perspective and in their own words,” says Fluence co-founder and study co-author Dr. Elizabeth Nielson. “This study complements existing quantitative clinical research, adding detail and nuance to the picture of how the treatment unfolded and what future clinicians might encounter in their work with patients.”
Findings from this study suggest that psilocybin treatment prompted enduring improvements in self-compassion and affect regulation. Engaging in these psychological processes may help patients with Alcohol Use Disorder cope with difficult emotions and stress, as well as prevent future relapse by encouraging adaptive coping responses during ongoing recovery.
Participants reported that the psilocybin treatment helped them experience self-awareness, self-compassion, and feelings of connectedness and belonging. The psilocybin sessions conducted in the original clinical trial were described as laying the foundation for the development of adaptive affect regulation in the face of future stressors and cravings, as well as prompting improvements in participants’ interpersonal relationships with close friends and family.
The authors acknowledge that additional controlled studies are required to establish whether increased self-compassion and affect regulation leads to improved outcomes in alcohol use disorder.
Regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency focus on safety and efficacy, rather than on specific psychological mechanisms of action, when deciding which treatments to approve. A deeper understanding of the psychological mechanisms and coping processes such as those outlined in this publication will be invaluable to future efforts in training therapists and improving upon existing protocols in the field of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.
ABOUT FLUENCE
Founded in 2019, Fluence is the leading independent provider of training for mental health practitioners seeking to offer psychedelic therapy or psychedelic integration for their patients and clients, and is licensed by the State of Oregon as a provider of training for licensed facilitators of psilocybin services. Fluence trainers include top researchers, clinicians, and experts in psychedelic therapy and integration.
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