EVALUATING THE CLINICAL UTILITY OF PSILOCYBIN THERAPY VERSUS OTHER PSYCHEDELIC DRUG INTERVENTIONS FOR THE TREATMENT OF POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

The purpose of the presentation will be to investigate the optimal form of psychedelic therapy for Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with a focus on three major criteria of clinical utility: efficacy, rapidity, and tolerability/safety. Despite significantly greater research and funding focused on MDMA-assisted therapy’s (MDMA-AT) effect on PTSD, recent evidence has pointed to serotonin 2A agonist drugs as a source of potentially greater clinical utility. The clinical utility of psilocybin versus MDMA will be examined in view of data collected from a recent Johns Hopkins pilot clinical trial (N = 20; NCT06407635) that investigated the efficacy, rapidity, and tolerability/safety of Psilocybin Therapy in the treatment of PTSD. This experimental trial randomized participants with PTSD (CAPS-5 score > 34) to two psilocybin drug sessions (25 mg in session 1, 25 mg or 35 mg in session 2) with either standard psychological support (PST condition) or traumafocused psychotherapy (TFT condition; including elements of Cognitive Processing Therapy and in vivo exposure). In the course of this presentation, psychological mechanisms underlying psilocybin’s effect on PTSD will be examined (e.g., is acute trauma-related mental processing necessary for therapeutic response), along with evidence bearing on whether the TFT condition is incrementally beneficial (based on between-condition CAPS-5 score change and therapist ratings). Final results are forthcoming upon completed data collection in January 2026. This inquiry into identifying the best psychedelic therapy approach to treat PTSD is vital for guiding medical and institutional leaders (e.g., VA, DoD, HHS) on the most effective allocation of resources to resolve the longstanding health crisis facing individuals with PTSD.

References

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