Frontiers in Psychiatry
January 20, 2022
Darron T. Smith, Sonya C. Faber, NiCole T. Buchanan et al.
69 citations
Psychedelic medicine is an emerging field that uses substances like MDMA to produce non-ordinary states of consciousness. MDMA is in phase-3 FDA trials for treating PTSD and was designated a breakthrough therapy in 2017 due to its safety and efficacy when combined with manualized therapy. Historical and contemporary racial mistreatment triggers physiological stress responses in Black people, similar to those in anxiety disorders. The paper explores how entheogens in psychedelic-assisted therapy could address negative race-based experiences and promote healing among BIPOC. It also discusses the ethical need for culturally competent providers and for recruiting BIPOC into research and training.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
July 15, 2021
Zoe W. Jahn, Joel Lopez, Sara de la Salle et al.
36 citations
About 15.9% of the U.S. population over age 12 had used a hallucinogen at least once, and 2.0% had used one in the past year. Lifetime use was most common among non-Hispanic White and multi-racial individuals, while Black/African Americans reported the lowest rates. Past-year use was highest among White and multi-racial groups aged 12–34 and among White individuals aged 35–49. Hispanic individuals showed higher past-year use in the 12–17 age group but lower use in the 26–49 range. Black/African Americans had the lowest past-year use among 12–25 year olds. Adults 50 and older reported the lowest past-year use overall.
International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction
April 1, 2024
Joseph T. Torre, Mehdi Mahammadli, Sonya C. Faber et al.
31 citations
Experts in psychiatry, clinical psychology, and psychedelic research agree that excluding people with personal or family histories of psychosis, bipolar disorder, or similar conditions from psychedelic clinical trials may be justified only when protocols offer minimal psychological support. In interviews with 12 experts, themes derived from interpretative phenomenological analysis indicated that psychedelic-, ketamine-, and MDMA-assisted psychotherapy with high levels of support are not necessarily contraindicated for all such individuals and may benefit some. Factors like specific symptoms, illness duration, severity, therapeutic alliance, trauma's role, and available supports could help predict outcomes. More research is needed to develop a safe protocol for this population.
Am J Bioeth
January 13, 2025
Tahlia R. Harrison, Sonya C. Faber, Manzar Zare et al.
22 citations
Psychedelic-assisted therapy raises urgent ethical concerns, particularly regarding power imbalances that can lead to sexual abuse. This paper examines how altered states of consciousness in therapeutic settings create vulnerabilities, and it outlines pathways for developing ethical practices and regulatory frameworks to prevent misconduct. The authors argue that understanding therapeutic dynamics is critical to protecting patients and ensuring professional accountability in this emerging field.
BMC Medical Education
October 24, 2024
Susanne Birnkammer, Olga Chernoloz, Sergio R Pérez Rosal et al.
10 citations
As psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) advances to phase III trials in the USA, Europe, particularly Germany, must develop professional education and regulatory frameworks to catch up. Australia has already approved MDMA and psilocybin for mental health, Ukraine is exploring MDMA for war-related PTSD, and Switzerland restarted restricted medical use of MDMA and LSD around 2014, establishing precedents for nations where these substances were illicit. Key challenges include practitioner training standards, accessibility, and oversight. The paper outlines ethical considerations, training protocols, and governmental roles for building infrastructure in Germany to support PAT rollout, aiming to influence broader European policy and help Europe reclaim its historical lead in psychiatric innovation.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
March 29, 2024
Arghavan Nepton, Hesam Farahani, Monnica T. Williams et al.
2 citations
Depression involves a wide range of biological changes, from gene variations to epigenetic modifications, not only serotonergic mechanisms. Therapy response to antidepressants is linked to epigenetic regulation of genes in the serotonergic system. Persistent depressive symptoms may involve stable molecular adaptations in the brain at the epigenetic level. Responses to psychotherapy for mood disorders correlate with epigenetic alterations, including in genes regulating the serotonergic and glutamatergic systems and the HPA axis. Ketamine's antidepressant effects may be linked to epigenetic alterations, and further exploration of BDNF's relation with ketamine in epigenetic signaling is warranted. Understanding these mechanisms may help gauge therapy efficacy and duration.
Psychedelics
July 18, 2026
Sergio Pérez Rosal, Sonya C. Faber
A rapid colorimetric assay (PSILO QTest) was deployed during a 7-day psilocybin retreat in Jamaica to measure batch-level psilocybin concentration in Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms. Psilocybin content differed approximately 2.6-fold between two session batches: one batch averaged 6.095 mg/g, the other 15.75 mg/g. Estimated psilocybin-equivalent doses ranged from 15.2 to 21.3 mg in Session 1 and 47.1 to 70.7 mg in Session 2, showing that gram-based dosing poorly reflects actual psychoactive substance exposure. No serious adverse events were observed among 11 participants. The assay can be used by non-chemist facilitators to improve dose documentation in naturalistic psilocybin research.
Research Square
November 17, 2025
Sergio R. Perez Rosal, Sonya C. Faber
Natural variation in psilocybin content across mushroom samples makes consistent dosing difficult in research and retreat settings. In an observational report, psilocybin content was chemically analyzed rather than inferred from weight, revealing large variability across samples. Eleven individuals participated in a 7-day psilocybin retreat, receiving two doses of psilocybin-containing mushrooms. Standardization based on measured psilocybin concentration allowed for dose adjustments, including a planned increase of the second dose to approximately twice the first to compensate for known acute tolerance effects. This method provides a model for responsible natural product use in community or retreat settings and can inform future translational research.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
July 20, 2026
Sergio R. Pérez Rosal, Sonya C. Faber, Markus Backmund
A 30-year-old man with severe polysubstance dependence on ketamine, cocaine, and alcohol, along with recurrent depression, underwent ibogaine-assisted treatment in a 13-day residential program in Mexico. He received an initial 800 mg ibogaine HCl dose (10.1 mg/kg) and two 300 mg booster doses (3.8 mg/kg) under medical monitoring. He reported immediate cessation of cravings for all substances. Over 17 months of follow-up, including a later medically supervised ibogaine intervention, toxicology and psychometric assessments showed continued abstinence from all substances and significant improvements in depression, anxiety, and quality of life. This is the first documented case of sustained abstinence in severe ketamine use disorder following ibogaine treatment.