Date of Submission

Spring 2022

Academic Program

Psychology

Project Advisor 1

Kristin Lane

Abstract/Artist's Statement

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a widespread, often debilitating affliction that is only partially attenuated by current first-line treatment despite its heightened prominence in the sociopolitical arena. Since individuals with PTSD also experience high rates of depression comorbidity and resultant suicidality, it is essential that treatment is more holistically effective. A possible novel intervention, psilocybin-assisted therapy, has shown promising results for the improvement of depression, addiction, and other disorders; prospectively, when administered with non-directive therapy, it could prove to be an efficacious intervention for PTSD with comorbid depression. In the proposed study, there will be two participant groupings: the control group - low-dose psilocybin - and the treatment group - high-dose psilocybin. Over the span of about two months with an additional six-month follow-up, participants will undergo two increasingly scaled dosing sessions in low or high dosage groups and, throughout, will be measured for PTSD and depression symptom severity. Participants will be measured using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for the DSM-5 (CAPS-5) and Beck-Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) as primary measures for PTSD and depression. Outcome measures will be taken at baseline, before and after both dosing sessions, at the end of the two-month study period, and at six-month follow-up. A t-test will be conducted to measure any significant differences in symptom scores between the two participant groupings.

Open Access Agreement

Open Access

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
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