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Title Psychological models of Psilocybin Drug Administration
Course number 5676
Programme Neurovetenskap
Language English
Credits 1.5
Date 2023-09-06 -- 2023-10-06
Responsible KI department Institutionen för klinisk neurovetenskap
Specific entry requirements
Purpose of the course There is a paucity of treatments for many psychiatric disorders, including depression. Preliminary data suggest both a good safety profile and therapeutic potential for psychedelic substances when combined with therapy. This course aims to address the critical gap in scientific knowledge on which psychological models of psilocybin administration should be considered best practice – with a specific focus on possible research designs to test psychological models in the clinical application of psilocybin.
Intended learning outcomes After completed course, the students should be able to:
- Give an account of the current state of clinical applications of psilocybin, including safety, ethical, and regulatory perspectives.
- Identify and analyze strengths and limitations of research in the field, including the psychological models used in psilocybin studies.
- Discuss and evaluate possible strengths and limitations of alternative research designs for clinical studies, such as single case experimental design (SCED), with a specific focus on how these can be applied and aggregated into psychological models of psilocybin drug administration.
- Write a solid research plan proposal to test a psychological model of psilocybin drug administration.
Contents of the course This course will provide an overview of the current state of research on clinical applications of psilocybin, including safety, ethical, and regulatory perspectives. Together with leading researchers in the field, students will analyze the strengths and limitations of alternative research designs to test psychological models of psilocybin administration. In addition, students will write individual drafts of proposed research plans to test these models.
Teaching and learning activities This course is conducted in a hybrid format as a combined workshop/doctoral course. Included teaching and learning activities: Reading, writing, lectures, group work, and general discussions. The workshop format enables presentations and practical exercises in both plenum and smaller groups, and also includes opportunities for networking among leading researchers in the field.
Compulsory elements All parts of this course are mandatory. Absence can be compensated by individual assignments.
Examination The doctoral students will write a proposed research plan to test a psychological model of psychedelic drug administration. The written assignment should be submitted within one month from the workshop's last day.
Literature and other teaching material Recommended course literature:
*Aday, J., Heifets, B., Pratscher, S. et al. (2022). Great Expectations: Recommendations for improving the methodological rigor of psychedelic clinical trials. Psychopharmacology, 1-22. DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06123-7
*Anderson, B., Danforth, A., & Grob, C. (2020). Psychedelic medicine: safety and ethical concerns. Lancet Psychiatry, 7(10). DOI: 10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30146-2
*Andersen, K., Carhart-Harris, R., Nutt, D., & Erritzoe, D. (2021). Therapeutic effects of classic serotonergic psychedelics: A systematic review of modern-era clinical studies. Acta Psychiatr Scand, 143(2), 101-118. DOI: 10.1111/acps.13249
*Breeksema, J., Niemeijer, A., Krediet, E., Vermetten, E. & Schoevers, R. (2020). Psychedelic Treatments for Psychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Patient Experiences in Qualitative Studies. CNS Drugs, 34(9), 925-946. DOI: 10.1007/s40263-020-00748-y
*Brennan, W., & Belser, A. (2022). Models of Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Contemporary Assessment and an Introduction to EMBARK, a Transdiagnostic, Trans-Drug Model. Frontiers in Psychology, 1879. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.866018
*Carhart-Harris, R., & Goodwin, G. (2017). The Therapeutic Potential of Psychedelic Drugs: Past, Present, and Future. Neuropsychopharmacology, 42(11), 2105-2113. DOI:10.1038/npp.2017.84
*Carhart-Harris, R., Roseman, L., Haijen, E. et al. (2018). Psychedelics and the essential importance of context. Journal of Psychopharmacol, 32(7), 725-731. DOI: 10.1177/0269881118754710
*Horton, D. M., Morrison, B., & Schmidt, J. (2021). Systematized Review of Psychotherapeutic Components of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy. American journal of psychotherapy, 74(4):140-149. DOI: 10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.20200055
*Johnson, M., Richards, W., & Griffiths, R. (2008). Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety. J Psychopharmacol, 22(6), 603-20. DOI: 10.1177/0269881108093587
*Munafò, A., Arillotta, D., Mannaioni, G. et al. (2023). Psilocybin for Depression: From
Credibility to Feasibility, What’s Missing? Pharmaceuticals 2023, 16, 68. DOI: 10.3390/
ph16010068
*Muthukumaraswamy, S., Forsyth, A. & Lumley, T. (2021). Blinding and expectancy confounds in psychedelic randomized controlled trials. Expert review of clinical pharmacology, 14(9), 1133-1152. DOI: 10.1080/17512433.2021.1933434
*Nutt, D., & Carhart-Harris, R. (2021). The current status of psychedelics in psychiatry. JAMA psychiatry, 78(2), 121-122. DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.2171
*Vlaeyen, J., Wicksell, R., Simons, L. et al. (2020). From Boulder to Stockholm in 70 Years: Single Case Experimental Designs in Clinical Research. Psychol Rec 70, 659–670. DOI: 10.1007/s40732-020-00402-5
Number of students 1 - 8
Selection of students Postdocs and doctoral students interested or engaged in psychedelic research or clinical psychology/psychiatry are welcome to apply. Selection will be based on the relevance of the postdoc research area/doctoral project course syllabus (according to written motivation).
More information This course is conducted in a hybrid format as a combined workshop/doctoral course across three Nordic countries: Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. A maximum of eight doctoral students are welcome to participate, together with 22 researchers from the three countries. During the three mandatory course days (Wednesday, September 6th, 9.00-17.00; Thursday, September 7th, 9.00-17.00; and Friday, September 8th 9.00-15.30), the students are expected to be present at Clarion Hotel Sign, Östra Järnvägsgatan 35, Stockholm. In addition to the three course days, a written proposed research plan should be submitted within one month of the last day of the workshop (i.e., October 6th).
Additional course leader Alexander Belser, PhD, Yale School of Medicine. Dea Siggaard Stenbæk, associate professor, Copenhagen University. Florence Marie Butlen-Ducuing, PhD, European Medicines Agency. Henrik Børsting Jacobsen, PhD, Oslo University. Johan Vlaeyen, professor, University of Leuven and Maastricht University. Contact person: Maria Grzywacz Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital maria.grzywacz@nru.dk
Latest course evaluation Not available
Course responsible Maria Beckman
Institutionen för klinisk neurovetenskap

maria.beckman@ki.se
Contact person -