A phenomenological exploration of experiences with short-acting psychedelics for low mood and depression

Little, Ryan (2024). A phenomenological exploration of experiences with short-acting psychedelics for low mood and depression. University of Birmingham. Clin.Psy.D.

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Abstract

This document contains two chapters that constitute the doctoral thesis for the degree of Clinical Psychology Doctorate (ClinPsyD).
Chapter 1 is a systematic literature review in the form of a meta-analysis of all clinical trials that have been conducted to date investigating the efficacy of classic psychedelic drugs in psychedelic assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of depression or anxiety symptoms in individuals with mental health diagnoses. Findings suggested positive outcomes for psychedelics in these clinical trials with moderate to large effect sizes. However, the studies to-date have been small, and with variable methodological quality and sources of bias, therefore larger and more robust trials would be needed for more certain results.
Chapter 2 is an empirical research paper exploring participant’s experiences of using short-acting psychedelics, such as dimethyltryptamine, in an attempt to help with their low mood or depression. This study was conducted by interviewing nine participants and analysing the interviews using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to generate themes. Four primary themes were generated: 1) Journey to Using DMT for Mental Health, 2) Psychological and Spiritual Insights, 3) Emotional Healing Through DMT, and 4) Personal Growth Following DMT.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Clin.Psy.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Clin.Psy.D.

Supervisor(s):