A 1957 paper explored the potential benefit of LSD for the treatment of different forms of mental illness, primarily schizophrenia. Researchers experimented with a combination of LSD and chlorpromazine, known more commonly under the brand name Thorazine. Their findings show that 61 out of 100 participants improved or recovered following treatment. While the term psychedelic-assisted therapy did not exist at the time, they researchers indicated that, “When used as an adjunct to psychotherapy, LSD was of the greatest value in the obsessional and anxiety groups accompanied by mental tension.”
Many studies investigating LSD in the 50s were not as specific and rigorous, and the protocols were varied depending on the patient and outcomes. For example, in an earlier study1 , Sandison, Spencer, and Whitelaw (1954) found the following: “Unless contraindications (e.g. the threat of psychosis) are present, one should persevere for at least [six] weeks or [six] to [eight] treatments before stopping. Many patients only started to produce material of value after [four] to [five] treatments. In some cases it may be necessary to continue treatment for at least [six] weeks and for [six] to [eight] treatments before stopping.”
Another early LSD-assisted therapy trial evaluated 110 participants, each diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder according to the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders), who were treated with LSD as part of their therapy for up to 26 sessions, with an average of 6.2 sessions each2 According to the research, therapists observed that the “introduction of LSD-25 effected a real breakthrough” even in some patients that had previously shown little to no improvement from earlier therapy. Therapists in the study reported that in 69 percent of the cases, LSD combined with therapy resulted in a “greater acceleration in the rate of therapeutic process.”
A similar study involved an outpatient therapy process where LSD was given in conjunction with therapy to 61 alcoholics and 39 non-alcoholics with other psychiatric diagnoses3 . The treatment took place in a group setting with a psychiatrist, psychologist, psychiatric nurse, and music therapist present, after which the participants transitioned from the experience during an overnight stay.
Based on follow-up interviews and other data collected between three and 18 months post treatment, the researchers found that 30 of the alcoholics and 22 of the other psychiatric patients showed much improvement in their condition and that 16 of the alcoholics and 13 of the psychiatric patients showed some improvement. As the study reports, “It was concluded that LSD… is effective in the treatment of alcoholism and the psychiatric disabilities categorized as anxiety reaction neurosis and personality trait disturbances.”
