Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
June 1, 2023
Noah D Gold, Samantha K Podrebarac, Lindsay A White et al.
3 citations
Over 50 million Americans serve as unpaid caregivers for chronically ill loved ones, a role that can foster personal growth but also leads to caregiver distress—a mix of physiological, psychological, interpersonal, and spiritual impairments affecting 30-70% of caregivers. Existing treatments do not fully address all these components. Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) has shown promise in clinical trials for conditions overlapping with caregiver distress, such as anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and inflammation, while enhancing empathy, connectedness, and reducing existential distress. Although no studies have yet tested PAP for caregiver distress, this narrative review argues it could comprehensively treat all biopsychosocial-spiritual dimensions of the condition, outlining safety, psychedelic selection, and therapeutic structure for future research.
Research Square
August 22, 2025
Richard J. Zeifman, George Danias, Gabrielle Agin-Liebes et al.
2 citations
Psychedelics can acutely induce mystical experiences and elevated positive mood, which may contribute to the potential benefits of psychedelic therapy. However, there remains limited understanding of the occurrence and importance of specific positive emotional experiences within psychedelic therapy. Therefore, we examined the effects of psychedelics on positive emotional experiences and their association with improvements in mental health. Methods: Study 1 was an observational study of naturalistic psychedelic use. Study 2 used data from a clinical trial that compared psilocybin with escitalopram in individuals with major depressive disorder.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
June 25, 2026
Pavan S Brar, Rebecca B Price, Stephen Ross et al.
Psychedelic compounds like psilocybin and LSD are being studied again as potential treatments, but research usually excludes people at risk for psychosis. This narrative review examines the historical and theoretical links between psychedelics and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs), including the psychotomimetic hypothesis. The authors compare the phenomenological experiences induced by psychedelics with those of SSDs, finding both overlap and important qualitative differences that challenge a simple equivalence. They review neural mechanisms involving serotonin, dopamine, and glutamate. Clinical evidence shows psychedelics can worsen existing psychotic illness and may trigger psychosis in vulnerable individuals, though the risk magnitude is not well quantified. The authors suggest potential therapeutic applications for carefully selected symptoms in stable patients using low-dose, controlled approaches and provide recommendations for managing psychosis-related risk.
Psychedelics
June 10, 2025
Stephen Ross
A single dose of psilocybin combined with psychotherapy produced rapid, substantial, and enduring reductions in anxiety and depression among advanced cancer patients, according to a landmark 2016 study that attracted 1.7 billion media views. The work, led by Professor Stephen Ross at NYU Langone Center for Psychedelic Medicine, also demonstrated efficacy for alcohol use disorder and major depressive disorder. Ross secured the first National Cancer Institute grant for psychedelic research in over 50 years, helping revive a dormant field. His ongoing research extends into pain management, early-stage cancer interventions, and possible anti-inflammatory properties of psychedelics, aiming to address conditions with substantial unmet needs.
Oxford University Press eBooks
December 1, 2022
Stephen Ross, Anthony P. Bossis
Major academic centers are resuming clinical research into psilocybin and other serotonergic psychedelics combined with psychotherapy to treat psychiatric and existential distress in terminally ill patients. Despite advances in palliative care for medical and pain symptoms, effective treatments for depression, anxiety, and demoralization at the end of life remain scarce. The World Health Organization and the Institute of Medicine have identified addressing spiritual and existential distress as essential for improving emotional well-being and quality of life in advanced illness. This chapter covers the history, anthropology, neuropharmacology, safety, and efficacy data from two waves of psychedelic research, suggesting psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy may offer a paradigm shift for improving existential, psychosocial, and spiritual well-being in palliative care.