Gary R. Elkins

Mystical and psychedelic-type experiences have become an important focus in contemporary psychology due to their association with enduring changes in meaning, mood, and behavior (Jungaberle et al.,...

Background and Aims: Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) is a novel, transdiagnostic treatment in which the 5-HT2A receptor agonist psilocybin is combined with psychotherapy. Studies to date have evaluated PAP's effects on depression, substance use, and end-of-life adjustment. Relatively less attention has been given to its effects on anxiety symptoms, which are highly comorbid with other psychiatric conditions and are a leading cause of global disability. This review systematically evaluated evidence for PAP's effects on anxiety symptoms across diagnoses, with attention to variations in interventional components across studies. Methods: A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Searches were completed in six databases and independent reviewers screened records. Study quality was assessed and data extracted on participant demographics and intervention features. Random-effects models estimated within- and between-group effects from baseline to primary endpoint. Results: Twenty-five studies were determined eligible for inclusion. Considerable heterogeneity was observed in psychotherapy format, dosing, session structure, and outcome timing. Pooled results showed a large within-groups effect on anxiety after controlling for measurement artifacts (Hedge's g = 0.96) and a small between-groups effect (Hedge's g = 0.48). High heterogeneity persisted even after controlling for the influence of different anxiety measures and moderators related to intervention formulation and delivery. Conclusions: PAP shows promise for reducing anxiety across primary diagnoses. However, variability in study quality, interventional design, sample representativeness, and high heterogeneity warrant caution in interpretation. More rigorous, high-quality trials with diverse populations are needed. Implications and directions for future research are summarized.

Mindful hypnotherapy is an intervention that integrates hypnotic induction and direct suggestions (hypnosis) to increase mindfulness and reduce distress. In the present study, a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to investigate the effects of mindful hypnotherapy on psychological distress and mindfulness in adults. Further, the study evaluated the methodological quality of the included studies. A total of five publications of randomized controlled trials were identified. This meta-analysis found that, when compared to both waitlist and active control groups, mindful hypnotherapy had a large effect on the reduction in psychological distress (Hedges’ g = 0.61, 95% CI [0.10, 1.12], z = 2.36, p = 0.0188) and stress (Hedges’ g = 0.75, 95% CI [0.34, 1.16]; z = 3.58, p = 0.0003). Further, results also found mindful hypnotherapy had a large effect on increasing mindfulness (Hedges’ g = 1.38, SE = 0.28; 95% CI [0.83, 1.92]; z = 4.9146, p < 0.001). Recommendations include conducting research examining mindful hypnotherapy in a wider range of clinical problems (i.e., generalized anxiety disorder, depression, post-traumatic stress). In addition, clinical trials of mindful hypnotherapy should include active controls and measures of hypnotizability. Further research is also needed with diverse populations.

Ericksonian hypnotherapy/psychotherapy encompasses the innovations and therapeutic methods developed and taught by Milton H. Erickson, M.D (Erickson, 2017). Dr. Milton Erickson (1901–1980) has had ...

Vicarious Posttraumatic Growth (VPTG) is a critical yet underexplored phenomenon among trauma-focused helping professionals. While secondary trauma (ST), compassion fatigue, and burnout are widely recognized negative aspects of working with trauma survivors, less is known about the potential benefits of this work and its contributions to well-being. This qualitative study explored peer-support specialists’ perceptions of growth arising from indirect exposure to trauma and examined how these experiences relate to well-being. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 participants, independently coded transcripts, and developed themes through consensus. Findings suggest VPTG may follow a similar path to Posttraumatic Growth (PTG), with participants reporting challenges to core beliefs, emotional distress, and transformative cognitive-emotional shifts that facilitated growth across domains that appear to mirror the five PTG domains. Outcomes of working with trauma survivors extended beyond the PTG domains to include compassion satisfaction, hope, expanded coping skills, and improved mental health. Taken together, these findings illustrate the participants’ subjective experiences of both challenge and transformation through their work with trauma survivors, offering preliminary insight into how indirect trauma exposure may contribute to VPTG and well-being.

Importance: Many women experience significant adverse effects from menopausal hot flashes. Clinical hypnosis has been shown to be an effective and safe nonhormonal treatment for hot flashes, but there is a need to increase the accessibility of this intervention. Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of a self-administered hypnosis intervention for hot flashes compared with a self-administered sham white noise hypnosis control, evaluate the efficacy of the intervention compared with sham hypnosis for hot flash activity interference and perception of benefit, and examine the interaction between practice adherence and treatment effect. Design, Setting, and Participants: This multicenter, 2-arm, single-blind, randomized clinical trial was conducted from March 4, 2019, to February 16, 2024. Participants were 250 postmenopausal women self-reporting a minimum of 4 daily or 28 weekly hot flashes at baseline who were recruited at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Intervention: Participants were randomized into either a 6-week self-administered hypnosis condition or a self-administered sham white noise condition. The hypnotic inductions consisted of cooling imagery and suggestions for relaxation, while the white noise condition was designed to be an active control accounting for all components present in the intervention arm, including placebo and cognitive expectancy effects, without the therapeutic components present in the active arm. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was the change in hot flash score from baseline to 6 weeks, with a 12-week follow-up. The hot flash score (lower scores indicate less frequent and less severe hot flashes) was calculated as a product of the frequency and severity of hot flashes as reported in their daily hot flash diary. Secondary outcomes included hot flash activity interference, measured using the Hot Flash Related Daily Interference Scale (HFRDIS; score range, 0-100; lower scores indicate less interference from hot flashes on participants’ daily activities, enjoyment, or quality of life), and perception of benefit, measured using the Subject Global Impression of Change. Analysis was conducted on an intent-to-treat basis. Results: Participants were 250 women (mean [SD] age, 55.9 [6.9] years) experiencing hot flashes, 62 (24.8%) of whom had a history of breast cancer. Overall improvement in mean (SD) hot flash scores at 6 weeks was greater for participants in the hypnosis group (baseline score, 88.7 [61.3] vs 6-week score, 41.3 [50.8]; 53.4% decrease) than those in the white noise group (baseline score, 94.6 [81.6] vs 6-week score, 55.9 [50.9]; 40.9% decrease; P = .04). The intervention group reported a significantly greater reduction in daily interference from baseline to week 6 (baseline mean [SD] HFRDIS score, 49.3 [22.6] vs 6-week score, 25.0 [22.4]; 49.3% decrease) compared with the control group (baseline mean [SD] HFRDIS score, 47.3 [22.4] vs 6-week score, 29.6 [22.0]; 37.4% decrease) as well as greater perceived benefits (90.3% [93 of 103] vs 64.3% [63 of 98]). Conclusions and Relevance: In this randomized clinical trial, the clinical hypnosis group experienced significantly greater reductions of hot flash scores and daily interference from hot flashes compared with the active control condition at week 6. This study suggests that hypnosis delivered through self-administered audio files is a clinically significant and effective method to reduce hot flashes in postmenopausal women. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03572153

Vicarious Posttraumatic Growth (VPTG) is a critical yet underexplored phenomenon among trauma-focused helping professionals. While secondary trauma (ST), compassion fatigue, and burnout are widely recognized negative aspects of working with trauma survivors, less is known about the potential benefits of this work and its contributions to well-being. This qualitative study examined whether VPTG parallels Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) across its five domains and explored the lived experiences of ST and VPTG among peer-support specialists. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, re-searchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 participants, independently coded transcripts, and developed themes through consensus. Findings indicate that VPTG mirrors PTG, with participants reporting challenges to core beliefs, emotional distress, and transformative cognitive-emotional shifts that facilitated growth across the five PTG domains. Participants also described moving from an initial acclimation phase, characterized by heightened distress, into a thriving phase of work with trauma survivors, marked by meaning-making and enhanced well-being. Outcomes extended beyond the five PTG domains to include compassion satisfaction, hope, expanded coping skills, and improved mental health. These findings underscore the potential of work with trauma survivors to contribute to both growth and well-being, with important implications for supporting helping professionals.

Screening tools commonly used for psychological distress among cancer patients have high rates of false positives, thus warranting a brief, detailed screening measure of distress. This study assessed the feasibility, acceptability, reliability, and validity of the Psychological Distress Profile (PDP) in an online sample of cancer patients. One hundred and seventy-four participants with a self-reported diagnosis of cancer were included in this study. Participants completed the study via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Results yielded high ratings of acceptability, ease of completion, and willingness to complete the PDP. The PDP demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .94). The PDP depression subscale had large positive correlations with the PDP hopelessness subscale ( r = .84, p < .001), PHQ-9 ( r = .67, p < .001), and CES-D ( r = .67, p < .001). The PDP anxiety subscale had large positive correlations with the PROMIS Emotional Distress-Anxiety-Short Form ( r = .68, p < .001) and GAD-7 ( r = .70, p < .001). Finally, the PDP anger subscale had a large positive correlation with the PROMIS Emotional Distress-Anger-Short Form ( r = .76, p < .001). The mean PDP total score ( N = 174) was 69.0 ( sd = 16.4). The PDP total score demonstrated a small, significant positive correlation with the DT ( r = .21, p = .005) and is likely more sensitive to distress associated with depression, hopelessness, anxiety, and anger. The PDP emerges as a theory-driven distress assessment tool for use with cancer patients.