Psychedelic treatments for trauma-related disorders are the use of psychedelic substances, either alone or used in conjunction with psychotherapy, to treat trauma-related disorders. Trauma-related disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), have a lifetime prevalence of around 8% in the US population.
However, even though trauma-related disorders can hinder the everyday life of individuals with them, less than 50% of patients who meet criteria for PTSD diagnosis receive proper treatment. Psychotherapy is an effective treatment for trauma-related disorders. A meta-analysis of treatment outcomes has shown that 67% of patients who completed treatment for PTSD no longer met diagnostic criteria for PTSD.
MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD is a potential game-changer. This was already recognised by the FDA, who gave the approach ‘breakthrough therapy’ status back in 2017. Then 2020 pooled analysis of six blinded phase 2 trials reaffirmed the treatment’s success and additionally showed even better outcomes at 18 months follow-up. Most recently, a key phase 3 trial showed similar startling results in chronic treatment-resistant PTSD sufferers, most with additional co-morbid diagnoses and developmental trauma. It’s likely that MDMA-assisted therapy will be licensed in the UK in a couple of years. There will probably be huge client demand. Where will we find therapists who are trained and ready to respond?
This presentation will discuss these issues, as well as providing context within the wider field of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies more generally. We will look at the various classes of psychedelic medicines, their history, mechanisms of action, use prevalence, safety and current most encouraging therapeutic indications. We will also highlight ways of beginning to educate ourselves better about this major new development in the field of psychology.