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A Computer-Based Platform for Aiding Clinicians in Eating Disorder Analysis and Diagnosis
Published on: May 10, 2022
Psilocybin Treatment as an Adjunct to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders: Therapeutic Rationale &
Elena Koning1, Susan Gamberg1,2, Aaron Keshen1,2
1Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 2E2, Canada.
Abstract:
Eating disorders (EDs) remain challenging to treat, with high dropout and low remission rates in cognitive-behavioral therapy for EDs (CBT-ED). Psilocybin treatment (PT) demonstrates therapeutic potential to enhance CBT-ED by exerting several neurobiological, psychological, and experiential effects (e.g., antidepressant, neuroplasticity, emotional openness) that are hypothesized to increase psychotherapeutic engagement, reduce dropout, and improve clinical outcomes. This narrative review provides the first consolidation of theoretical evidence for PT/CBT-ED, proposes considerations for a concurrent intervention protocol, and presents clinical and research considerations to empirically test its feasibility, safety, and efficacy. This line of inquiry is expected to advance the development of approaches that improve ED treatment outcomes and, more broadly, advance the study of psychedelics as tools to enhance evidence-based psychotherapy models.
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