PsiloIMAGINE
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating the effects of a psychedelic-augmented mental imagery-based intervention for young people with self-harm behaviour: an experimental medicine study
IRAS ID
330839
Contact name
Martina Di Simplicio
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Approximately 20% of young people experience self-harm behaviour in their lives. Self-harm can occur across different mental health disorders, and lead to negative outcomes and risk of suicide. Current treatments are long, costly and do not suit all young people, making it essential to research alternative treatments. Therapy combined with psychedelic drugs has recently been shown to be helpful in a variety of mental health disorders, including depression. This research project will explore the mechanisms by which combining a low dose of psychedelic psilocybin with a cognitive technique may target self-harm behaviour in young people (aged 16-25).
Previous research has shown that mental images of self-harm are common among individuals who self-harm and can increase the urge to self-harm. Imagery Re-Scripting (ImRS) is a cognitive technique that guides an individual to replace mental imagery driving self-harm with an alternative image that will instead discourage self-harm and promote alternative coping strategies. However, during ImRS individuals may fear bringing negative mental images and emotions to mind, hindering the process. Psychedelic substances can increase the ability to tolerate difficult emotions, make thinking styles more flexible and individuals more open to change. Based on this, we aim to test if enhancing a cognitive technique with a low dose psychedelic can modify the cognitive mechanisms maintaining self-harm behaviour.
We will examine the effect of a sub-hallucinogenic dose of psilocybin in combination with ImRS on cognitive processes, such as experiencing vivid mental images, and whether it can reduce these mental images and associated negative emotions in young people with recent self-harm behaviour above the effects of ImRS alone.
We hypothesise that psilocybin could facilitate confronting the emotions that arise during ImRS and make it easier to generate new helpful mental imagery.
These experimental data could lay the foundation for future treatment development targeting self-harm in young people.REC name
London - Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/LO/0581
Date of REC Opinion
4 Sep 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion