Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40233965›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2025

Psilocybin-Assisted suppoRtive psychoTherapy IN the treatment of prolonged Grief (PARTING) trial: protocol for an open-label pilot trial for cancer-related bereavement.

Vanessa L Beesley, Tom J Kennedy, Fiona Maccallum, Margaret Ross, Renee Harvey, Susan L Rossell, Jerome Sarris, Daniel Perkins, Rachel E Neale, James Bennett-Levy and 5 more

Abstract readClinical Trial Protocol
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Psychedelic therapeutics in psychiatric conditions.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Vanessa L BeesleyPsychedelic Medicine and Supportive Care Lab, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Vanessa.Beesley@qimrberghofer.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5081-1800
Tom J KennedyPsychedelic Medicine and Supportive Care Lab, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Fiona MaccallumSchool of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Margaret RossSt Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Renee HarveyEnosis Therapeutics, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Susan L RossellSt Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Jerome SarrisCentre for Mental Health, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Daniel PerkinsCentre for Mental Health, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Rachel E NealeCancer Aetiology and Prevention Lab, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
James Bennett-LevyPsychedelic Medicine and Supportive Care Lab, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Shevaugn JohnsonPsychedelic Medicine and Supportive Care Lab, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Hanna BeebePsychedelic Medicine and Supportive Care Lab, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Natalie RosetPsychedelic Medicine and Supportive Care Lab, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Jörg StrobelConsumer Representative, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Stephen ParkerPsychedelic Medicine and Supportive Care Lab, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionProlonged grief disorder (PGD) represents a substantial public health issue, especially in oncology settings where it affects up to 30% of bereaved carers. Current best-practice treatments are lengthy, and up to 50% of participants have persistent PGD. Building on encouraging recent research with psychedelic-assisted therapies, the Psilocybin-Assisted suppoRtive psychoTherapy IN the treatment of prolonged Grief (PARTING) trial is the first study to consider psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy as a potential treatment for prolonged grief. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: PARTING is an open-label pilot trial of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for approximately 15 people with cancer-related PGD. It aims to investigate feasibility, safety, acceptability, participant experience and participant-reported therapeutic effects. Over a 5-week intervention period, participants will undergo three preparation sessions before receiving a psychoactive (25 mg) dose of psilocybin alongside non-directive supportive guidance, followed by four integration sessions. All sessions will be delivered by a psychologist and either a nurse or Indigenous Therapist. An artificial intelligence-assisted tool will be used to create an artwork of participants' psychedelic experience.Outcomes will be investigated over a 12-month follow-up period. Feasibility will be assessed through recruitment/retention rates and completion of follow-up assessments. Safety will be evaluated via adverse events over 12 months and the comparison of physiological measures (vital signs, biochemistry, haematology, ECG) recorded during screening and 1 day after the psilocybin dose. Qualitative thematic analysis of semistructured interviews with participants and trial therapists will assess acceptability and the therapeutic potential of the treatment. Diagnostic clinical interviews for PGD and quantitative participant-reported measures of therapeutic effects are also being collected. Participant-reported measures include grief severity, depression, anxiety, grief avoidance, psychological flexibility, connectedness, and quality of life. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval has been obtained from QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute Human Research Ethics Committee (P3801). Dissemination of results will occur via conference presentations, peer-reviewed publications and media. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12623000827639).

Indexed as

BereavementGriefHallucinogensNeoplasmsPsilocybinPsychotherapyHumansPilot ProjectsResearch DesignHallucinogensPsilocybinAdult psychiatryCaregiversDrug TherapyFeasibility StudiesMENTAL HEALTHPsychosocial Intervention

Identifiers

PMID40233965
PMCPMC12004488

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.