American Journal of Psychiatry

A clinical study of LSD treatment in alcoholism

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Lazar, R., Levine, J., Ludwig, A., Stark, L.

This randomised study (1969, n=176) found no long-lasting (up to 12 months later) positive effects of LSD-assisted therapy (210μg/70kg) versus no therapy, an effect that was found in other studies from this time.

Abstract

One hundred seventy-six male alcoholic patients participated in a controlled investigation of the differential efficacy of three LSD treatment procedures and a no therapy, or milieu treatment, condition. Half of each group was also assigned to disulfiram after discharge from the hospital to determine whether any of these techniques could be enhanced by its use. Although significant improvement was shown within all treatment groups as measured by a number of clinical assessments in the post-treatment and follow-up periods, no one treatment condition proved to be superior. The authors conclude that the dramatic claims for the efficacy of LSD treatment in alcoholism are unjustified.