Caroline Hayes, MBBS
Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Speaker Bio
Dr. Caroline Hayes is a Core Psychiatry Trainee based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK, having completed her medical degree at Newcastle University in 2017. She was a sub-investigator on the Compass Pathways phase IIb trail looking into psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression, however, has stepped away from psychedelic clinical trials due to ethical concerns. Her area of research interest is critical psychedelic studies, though she is also heavily involved in medical education. She holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education, is a member of the Academy of Medical Educators and an associate fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Caroline is also a volunteer with PsyCare UK, providing welfare and harm reduction services at music festivals.
ICPR 2024 Abstract
Participant and Clinician Reflections on a Challenging Experience in a Clinical Trial
In July 2021 Maryam Jabir received a 25mg dose of psilocybin as part of a phase IIb trial for treatment-resistant depression. On dosing day, she had a difficult experience, followed by a worsening of mood, suicidal ideas, and struggles with eating that persisted for months. Despite this deterioration and her characterisation as a non-responder by the quantitative measures used in the study, Maryam experienced clear functional improvement, making several positive changes to her life including starting a new job and looking after her health. In this talk, Maryam will reflect on her experience of being a trial participant and how her psilocybin experience affected her life. She will be joined by Dr Mourad Wahba and Dr Caroline Hayes who provide a clinician’s perspective. They will share their own reflections on the process and wider issues within psychedelic research that were highlighted through this experience, with some suggestions moving forwards.