Exploring psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in the treatment of methamphetamine use disorder

Jonathan Brett; Elizabeth Knock; P Todd Korthuis; Paul Liknaitzky; Kevin S Murnane; Christopher R Nicholas; James C Patterson 2nd; Christopher S Stauffer

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1123424

Exploring psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in the treatment of methamphetamine use disorder

Front Psychiatry. 2023 Mar 14:14:1123424. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1123424. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Jonathan Brett^{1

2}, Elizabeth Knock³, P Todd Korthuis⁴, Paul Liknaitzky^{5

6}, Kevin S Murnane^{7

8}, Christopher R Nicholas⁹, James C Patterson 2nd^{7

8}, Christopher S Stauffer^{10

11}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Pharmacology, St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
² School of Population Health, Medicines Intelligence Centre of Research Excellence, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
³ Alcohol and Drug Service, St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
⁴ Section of Addiction Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Caulfield, VIC, Australia.
⁶ Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Caulfield, VIC, Australia.
⁷ Louisiana Addiction Research Center, Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology & Neuroscience, Shreveport, LA, United States.
⁸ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Louisiana State University Health, Shreveport, LA, United States.
⁹ Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States.
¹⁰ Department of Mental Health, Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United States.
¹¹ Social Neuroscience and Psychotherapy Lab, Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States.

Abstract

Methamphetamine use disorder is a chronic relapsing condition associated with substantial mental, physical, and social harms and increasing rates of mortality. Contingency management and psychotherapy interventions are the mainstays of treatment but are modestly effective with high relapse rates, while pharmacological treatments have shown little to no efficacy. Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy is emerging as a promising treatment for a range of difficult-to-treat conditions, including substance use disorders; however, no studies have yet been published looking at psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in the treatment of methamphetamine use disorder. Here we review the rationale for psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy as a potential treatment for this indication, and describe practical considerations based on our early experience designing and implementing four separate clinical trials of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for methamphetamine use disorder.

Keywords: Addiction Medicine; methamphetamine; methamphetamine use disorder; psilocybin; psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy; stimulant use disorder.

Publication types

Review