Researchers from the Huntsman Cancer Institute and the Huntsman Mental Health Institute (HMHI), both at the University of Utah (USA), are conducting a clinical trial testing a new form of psychotherapy for people diagnosed with advanced cancer. Such patients may face severe psychological distress after being diagnosed.
This form of therapy combines the use of the anesthetic ketamine with talk therapy to help people suffering from existential anxiety, a condition where a person experiences deep emotional discomfort related to the realization of their own mortality, loss of meaning in life, and reassessment of their values and goals. Traditional mental health treatment methods may not always fully meet the needs of such patients.
Researchers at the Huntsman Institute's Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Clinic hope that their unique combination of the psychedelic drug and psychotherapy can ease the suffering of patients facing inoperable cancer. Ketamine is a medication that has anesthetic, anti-inflammatory, and antidepressant effects. Ketamine can also cause an altered state of consciousness in which a person can experience a variety of psychedelic effects, such as hallucinations, dissolving the boundaries between oneself and the world around one, and a sense of oneness and love. Researchers believe that ketamine can help patients overcome their fears, trauma, guilt and shame, as well as open up new perspectives and opportunities for their lives.
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy consists of several stages. First, the patient undergoes a preliminary assessment and consultation with a psychotherapist who explains the purpose, risks, and expectations of the therapy. Then, the patient receives a ketamine injection under the supervision of medical staff and has a two-hour session with a psychotherapist who supports them during the psychedelic experience and helps them interpret and integrate it into their lives. After the session, the patient stays in the clinic under supervision until all the side effects of ketamine have passed. The patient then has a post-session consultation with a psychotherapist who discusses his or her impressions, feelings, and conclusions from the therapy. A patient may undergo several sessions of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy depending on their individual needs and goals.
This clinical trial involves patients diagnosed with inoperable gastrointestinal cancer. The researchers are studying the effectiveness and safety of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy compared to conventional psychotherapy and placebo. They are also studying the impact of the therapy on patients' quality of life, symptoms of depression and anxiety, levels of existential anxiety, and hope for a cure.
Although the clinical trial is still ongoing, researchers have already noticed several benefits of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for their patients. These include improved mood, reduced anxiety, changes in perspective, greater flexibility and openness, a sense of connection or oneness with others, improved relationships, and even spiritual experiences. Many patients find that the combination of these elements leads to favorable changes and helps them to address the deep existential questions that are often triggered by a life-threatening diagnosis.
The researchers hope that their study can contribute to the development of new and effective methods of psychological support for patients with cancer.
Based on materials from www.newswise.com
The Expio Center is the first and only medical institution in Ukraine to legally use ketamine psychedelic psychotherapy since 2018.
