DPT as an Adjunct in Brief Psychotherapy with Cancer Patients

Abstract

Thirty cancer patients suffering from psychological distress participated in a pilot project of individual psychotherapy that offered – over a four week period of time – approximately twelve hours of conventional verbal interaction and a single intensive drug-assisted therapy session that employed dipropyltryptamine (DPT), a short-acting psychedelic drug. The efficacy of the total therapeutic approach in enhancing the quality of life is indicated by the analysis of data from psychological tests and independent ratings completed before and after the treatment intervention. The relative merits of DPT in comparison with LSD and the need to pursue a controlled study are discussed.