Frontiers in Psychiatry
December 1, 2022
Jagpaul Kaur Deol, Caroline A. Maccallum, Lindsay A. Lo et al.
95 citations
Interest in psilocybin as a therapeutic approach has grown rapidly, yet health care professionals lack practical guidance on the topic, especially given the medical complexity and vulnerability of patients who may receive psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy. This article reviews basic psilocybin pharmacology and pharmacokinetics, indications, practical therapeutic strategies such as dosing, administration, and monitoring, and safety considerations including contraindications, adverse events, and drug interactions. The goal is to increase health care professionals' knowledge and comfort to discuss and counsel patients on psilocybin therapy, ultimately improving patient care and safety.
medRxiv
February 15, 2023
Victoria di Virgilio, Amir Minerbi, Jenna Fletcher et al.
1 citation
preprint
Veterans who used psychedelic medicines for non-recreational therapeutic purposes reported improvements in medical and mental health conditions, social interaction, spirituality, and overall function. Analysis of 93 comments from 65 civilian or military veterans identified themes including mysticism and spirituality, functional improvement and self-awareness, social connection and cultural impact, and impact on medical and mental health conditions, as well as neutral impressions and difficult experiences. The findings suggest that psychedelic use is associated with multidimensional wellness improvements beyond the absence of disease, reflecting dynamic interactions with personal, psychophysiological, and socio-environmental factors.
medRxiv
May 10, 2023
Victoria di Virgilio, Amir Minerbi, Jagpaul Kaur Deol et al.
preprint
Veterans and civilians who used psychedelic medicines for non-recreational purposes in the previous three years reported improvements across pain, mental health, function, and overall quality of life, with the largest perceived gains in mental health and quality of life and the smallest in pain. Correlations among these domains were highly significant, particularly between function, quality of life, and mental health. No significant differences emerged between specific psychedelic drugs, suggesting the benefits may be class-wide. The study was retrospective, anonymous, and relatively small (65 participants), and lacked a baseline comparison.