Open MIND
June 26, 2026
Max Courtney
Substance use disorders remain a major public health challenge, and existing treatments often have limited long-term success. Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) has recently attracted renewed research interest as a potential treatment for addictions including alcohol, tobacco, and opioids. Most prior studies have been observational or non-randomized, but the number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) has grown rapidly. This systematic review will examine only RCTs to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and blinding integrity of PAT for substance use disorders. It will assess changes in substance use, adverse events, and how well double-blinding works given psilocybin's strong psychoactive effects. A narrative synthesis is planned, organized by substance type, safety outcomes, and blinding, using the SWiM reporting guideline.
American Journal of Medicine and Health Studies
June 26, 2026
Mehrdad F. Falavarjani
A spiritually oriented intervention that emphasizes self-transcendence and identity transformation helped a person with substance use disorder move from an addiction-centered identity toward a more integrated spiritual self. Through narrative reconstruction and contemplative practices, the participant became better able to engage with everyday life, suggesting that reorganizing identity through spiritual approaches may be an important mechanism of change in treatment.
Pharmacological Reports
June 22, 2026
Magdalena Zaniewska
Serotonin (5-HT) is a key neuromodulator involved in mood, appetite, aggression, and impulse control. Dysregulation of central 5-HT function is implicated in alcohol use disorder (AUD) and comorbid depression. Reduced 5-HT activity increases the risk of developing AUD, particularly Cloninger's type II, characterized by early onset, violent, and antisocial behaviors. Tph2-deficient mice, which lack central 5-HT, exhibit increased ethanol consumption and behavioral features resembling type II alcohol dependence. Alcohol-preferring rat lines show reduced 5-HT levels, decreased serotonergic projections to the cortex, and reduced prefrontal 5-HT2A receptor binding. The efficacy of selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is limited, with beneficial effects only in less severe, later-onset forms. Serotonergic psychedelic-assisted therapies may activate 5-HT2A receptors in the prefrontal cortex, a region dysfunctional in AUD.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
June 19, 2026
Carla J. Berg, Darcey M. Mccready, Cassidy R. Loparco et al.
Among a sample of young adults with high rates of past-month cannabis use, lifetime and past-year psychedelic use were 27.7% and 11.9%, respectively, with psilocybin/amanita, MDMA, and LSD being most common. Nearly half used psychedelics only for nonmedical purposes. Of those who had ever used, 26.5% had microdosed. Older age, male sex, Black race, metropolitan residence, more depressive symptoms, and more adverse childhood events were linked to lifetime use. Microdosing was associated with not having children, more anxiety, and more adverse childhood events. Mental health symptoms and adverse childhood events were also tied to higher use motives, including expansion, mood enhancement, and symptom management.
Leiden Repository
June 18, 2026
W.c. Naber
Cluster headache is characterized by recurring 'waves' of attacks. Long-term remission is linked to episodic disease, later onset age, more painful attacks, and smoking cessation, suggesting smoking may play a role in disease development. People with cluster headache more often use psilocybin and LSD, with some reporting reduced attack frequency or duration. Risk-taking behavior is increased in episodic but reduced in chronic disease, indicating adaptive changes. Testosterone deficiency is more prevalent, especially in chronic cases, likely originating in the brain. A Dutch version of the Cluster Headache Quality of Life questionnaire was developed; quality of life is more strongly tied to mental health and activity limitations than attack frequency alone. Greater occipital nerve infiltration is clinically effective, but its mechanism remains unresolved.
Research Square
June 17, 2026
Martijn Arns, Kenneth Shinozuka, Joseph Barsuglia
Ibogaine, a substance showing early promise for treating substance use disorders and PTSD in veterans, carries a risk of cardiac arrhythmia and death. A retrospective multisite study of 19,071 patients treated under safety guidelines at 11 international clinics found that all six deaths occurring within 72 hours were among patients treated for opioid use disorder (6 out of 10,382), with no deaths among 8,689 non-SUD patients. A systematic review of ibogaine-associated fatalities mirrored this pattern: 41 of 44 fatalities with known indication involved substance use disorder, predominantly opioid detoxification. The findings indicate that ibogaine-associated mortality is largely confined to opioid detoxification and rare in non-SUD indications.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
June 17, 2026
F. van Dalen, S. C. Tap, S. D. Venema et al.
Mental healthcare professionals generally hold cautiously optimistic views about psychedelic-assisted therapy for substance use disorder, though a minority express hesitancy due to concerns about safety, efficacy, and practical integration challenges. A systematic review of six studies with 966 participants found that greater knowledge and familiarity with psychedelic-assisted therapy predict more positive attitudes. The limited knowledge among professionals highlights a need for targeted education and training to support the responsible integration of this treatment into clinical care.
International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology
June 14, 2026
Himali Upadhyay
Designer drugs, also known as novel psychoactive substances (NPSs), are synthetic compounds that mimic the effects of controlled drugs while evading legal restrictions. Their rapid emergence poses serious public health and forensic challenges due to abuse potential, unpredictable toxicity, and constant structural changes. This review covers their classification, chemistry, street names, mechanisms of action, and effects on the cardiovascular, neurological, renal, hepatic, and psychiatric systems, including psychosis, hallucinations, aggression, addiction, and fatal overdose. It also examines global abuse patterns, online drug markets, and social media distribution. Forensic toxicology challenges are discussed, highlighting advanced analytical techniques such as GC–MS, LC–MS/MS, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and AI-assisted methods. The review calls for enhanced monitoring, regulatory updates, and multidisciplinary strategies.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
June 12, 2026
Zuzana Postránecká, Matyáš Lucký, Viktor Mravčík et al.
Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) shows cautious clinical potential for treating substance use disorders, but the evidence remains heterogeneous and largely from observational, open-label, or historical studies rather than strong randomized controlled trials. In the Czech Republic, recent developments include ketamine-assisted psychotherapy initiatives, inclusion of PAP in national addictology guidance, publication of national psychiatry guidelines for psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy, and a 2025 legislative reform introducing psilocybin for medical use from January 2026. Broader integration will require clearer indications, accredited training, longitudinal outcome monitoring, and transparent communication of benefits and risks.
Current Addiction Reports
June 11, 2026
Paul S. Regier
Neuroscientific models of addiction have progressed from simple dopamine-based explanations to more complex frameworks involving multiple brain circuits and systems. Recent evidence shows that addiction alters large-scale brain networks and that social, psychological, and developmental factors play a more central role than previously recognized. New treatments, such as psychedelic-assisted therapies, highlight the need for changes across biological, cognitive, and emotional levels. The authors argue that viewing addiction as a multilevel, interactive biopsychosocial process better accounts for differences in how addiction develops and resolves, and can guide more precise and effective interventions.
Psychopharmacology
June 10, 2026
Julian Kirsch, C. Poppe, Anne Beck et al.
Most people with alcohol use disorder (AUD) are aware of psychedelic research and would be willing to try psychedelic therapy, but their openness depends heavily on expecting it to succeed. In a mixed-method study of 112 participants from two non-psychedelic clinical trials and 10 patients from addiction outpatient services, 62.5% knew about psychedelic research and 64.3% were willing to join a psychedelic therapy trial. Willingness was strongly linked to higher expectations of research success, not to age or knowledge alone. Interviews revealed a spectrum of attitudes shaped by perceived therapeutic potential, fears of addiction or loss of control, personal and societal experiences with substances, and media exposure. Expectation of benefit was central to openness.
Open MIND
June 1, 2026
Kellie Elkrief
Substance use disorders affect about 2% of the global population and are marked by intense craving, a key predictor of relapse. Treatment options targeting craving are limited. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials examined the effect of ketamine, an NMDA receptor antagonist, on craving across different substance use disorders. Among nine studies (389 participants), ketamine significantly reduced craving compared to control (Hedges' g = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.09–0.59). Larger effects appeared in cocaine dependence, cue-induced craving paradigms, and acute assessments. Ketamine also increased the likelihood of abstinence (risk ratio = 1.95; 95% CI: 1.06–3.59) in four studies (152 participants). These findings suggest ketamine may reduce craving, but larger trials are needed to identify response moderators and clarify its long-term role.
Addictive behaviors
June 1, 2026
Sebastian Ehmann, Nathan M Hager, Paul S Regier et al.
Using data from the 2023 U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health, lifetime use of mescaline or peyote was associated with lower opioid use disorder severity, while lifetime use of LSD, psilocybin, MDMA, or DMT was associated with higher severity. The link between mescaline/peyote use and lower severity appeared only among adults with high mental health impairment. The findings suggest that different types of psychedelic use have divergent relationships with opioid use disorder severity, and that mental health status may influence these associations.
Addictive behaviors reports
June 1, 2026
Fares Qeadan, Shanti O'Neil
1 citation
Among U.S. residents aged 12 and older who reported substance use in 2021-2023, past-year ketamine use was more common among those receiving substance use disorder treatment (1.39%) than among those not in treatment (0.22%). Treatment was associated with higher odds of ketamine use across multiple substance types, including alcohol, marijuana, inhalant, methamphetamine, pain reliever, and opioid use disorders. The findings suggest that past-year treatment may be a marker of elevated ketamine exposure, highlighting the need for clinical screening and patient education about unsupervised ketamine risks.