Psychiatry research
November 1, 2023
Sipan Haikazian, David C J Chen-Li, Danica E Johnson et al.
121 citations
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 studies (686 participants) found that psilocybin therapy produced a large reduction in depressive symptoms compared to control conditions, with a standardized mean difference of -0.78. Response and remission rates were also significantly higher with psilocybin. Open-label trials showed robust decreases in depression after psilocybin administration. The findings suggest antidepressant efficacy for psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy, but the authors note that further studies are needed to confirm safety and efficacy and to optimize treatment protocols.
JAMA psychiatry
February 1, 2025
Daniel T Myran, Michael Pugliese, Jennifer Xiao et al.
23 citations
People who had an emergency department visit involving hallucinogen use were more likely to be diagnosed with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder within three years compared with the general population (3.99% vs 0.15%). After accounting for other substance use and mental health conditions, the risk remained elevated: they were about 3.5 times as likely as the general population, 4.7 times as likely as those with an alcohol-related ED visit, and 1.5 times as likely as those with a cannabis-related ED visit. The rate of hallucinogen-related ED visits rose 86% between 2013 and 2021.
Journal of clinical psychopharmacology
Nicole Ledwos, Joshua D Rosenblat, Daniel M Blumberger et al.
16 citations
A critical appraisal of clinical trials on serotonergic psychedelics for major depressive disorder and end-of-life distress finds that current evidence is low-level due to methodological limitations. Small randomized trials of psilocybin combined with psychotherapy showed superiority to waitlist controls and comparable efficacy to an active comparator, with similar preliminary positive effects for single-dose ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression and lysergic acid diethylamide for end-of-life distress. Adverse events were mild and transient. However, small homogenous samples, expectancy bias, functional unblinding, and lack of standardized psychotherapy limit all studies. Psychedelics should remain experimental interventions used within clinical trials.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
December 24, 2024
Omer A Syed, Rotem Petranker, Emily C Fewster et al.
3 citations
A strong preference for natural over synthetic sources exists among users of psilocybin (75%), DMT (56%), and mescaline (56%), based on an anonymous online survey of 6,379 consumers from 85 countries. About half of respondents (50.8%) believe the source affects a psychedelic's psychological and physiological effects, while 34.4% are neutral. Despite preferring natural sources, 67.7% would switch to synthetic alternatives if it reduced environmental harm from overharvesting. The survey's respondents came mainly from anglophone regions.
Npj mental health research
July 2, 2024
Maryam Golafshani, Daniel Z Buchman, M Ishrat Husain
3 citations
A disability-rights perspective is brought to the debate about whether psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) researchers and clinicians should have personal experience with psychedelics. The authors argue that mandating or implying such experience can perpetuate ableism, because many psychiatric conditions and medications, including common antidepressants, may prevent safe psychedelic use. The field must prioritize disability inclusion among researchers and clinicians as PAP research and practice expand.