Molecular psychiatry
March 1, 2025
Michel Sabé, Adi Sulstarova, Alban Glangetas et al.
39 citations
A systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the risk of psychedelic-induced psychosis in people with schizophrenia. Among population studies, the incidence was 0.002%; in uncontrolled trials, 0.2%; and in randomized controlled trials, 0.6%. In uncontrolled trials that included individuals with schizophrenia, 3.8% developed long-lasting psychotic symptoms. Of those who experienced psychedelic-induced psychosis, 13.1% later developed schizophrenia. The evidence suggests schizophrenia might not be an absolute exclusion for clinical trials on psychedelics for treatment-resistant depression and negative symptoms, but low study quality and limited data warrant a conservative approach until more research is done.
Annales Médico-psychologiques revue psychiatrique
July 10, 2024
Federico Seragnoli, Gabriel Thorens, Louise Penzenstadler et al.
8 citations
A team at Geneva University Hospitals developed an interdisciplinary model for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) that combines the altered state of consciousness induced by LSD or psilocybin with traditional dialogue-based psychotherapy. Since 2014, Swiss law has allowed exceptional medical authorizations for these substances. From September 2020 to February 2024, the team received 224 personal authorizations (114 for LSD, 110 for psilocybin) and conducted 396 individual sessions. The protocol includes patient selection, preparatory psychoeducation, controlled substance administration, and integration sessions. The authors argue that psychedelic-induced consciousness alteration can act as a catalyst to revive stalled psychotherapeutic processes and call for continued research and broader clinical integration of PAP.
Journal of Parkinson's disease
March 1, 2025
Vanessa Fleury, Emilie Tomkova, Sabina Catalano Chiuvé et al.
3 citations
A 43-year-old woman with a two-year history of Parkinson's disease who struggled with accepting her diagnosis, anxious rumination, and pessimism received four sessions of high-dose psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (psilocybin) within one year. The treatment was well tolerated and significantly improved her pessimistic outlook, reduced anxious worries about future disability, and enhanced general well-being. Psychometric scores for depression, anxiety, and optimism improved, though apathy did not change. Motor symptoms remained stable. The patient's greater acceptance of Parkinson's disease allowed her to accept adjustments to her medication. The authors suggest psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy could be a safe, useful option for Parkinson's patients with dispositional pessimism and difficulty accepting their disease, but note that controlled trials are needed to confirm these results.
Revue medicale suisse
August 23, 2023
G. Thorens, Louise Penzenstadler, F. Seragnoli et al.
2 citations
The article proposes ten essential ethical points for the practice of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP): respecting legal frameworks for psychotropic drugs, managing psychedelics safely (storage, production, security), reporting adverse effects to authorities, guaranteeing psychotherapeutic follow-up, ensuring patient safety during treatment, basing indications on scientific evidence, separating personal recreational use from medical use, avoiding proselytizing or poor medical practices, not equating personal psychedelic consumption with clinical competence, and ensuring equitable and reasonable access to care.
Molecular psychiatry
May 29, 2026
Mickael Eskinazi, Rayan Nasserdine, Romane M Cusin et al.
A systematic review of 23 studies examined whether serotonergic psychedelics (psilocybin, LSD, mescaline, DMT/ayahuasca) or MDMA can trigger manic or hypomanic symptoms. Rates of such symptoms ranged from 5.8% in controlled trials of psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression to 30% in naturalistic studies of people with bipolar disorder. When manic symptoms occurred, they were typically acute and self-limited. Higher risks were seen in individuals with bipolar I disorder, family vulnerability, polysubstance use, or unsupervised use. Registry data showed a 4% prevalence of later transition to bipolar disorder, with little evidence for a hallucinogen-specific signal. The authors conclude that these substances pose a low but clinically meaningful relative risk of transient mood symptoms in susceptible individuals while remaining relatively safe in controlled settings.
Psychology International
December 19, 2025
M Cheng, Tatiana Aboulafia Brakha, Albert Buchard et al.
LSD and psilocybin produce different patterns of heart rate change over time in patients with treatment-resistant depression or anxiety disorders. In a small retrospective study of 30 patients receiving either substance during supervised sessions, LSD caused a delayed but sustained heart rate increase peaking at 3–4 hours, while psilocybin led to an earlier decline. Anxiety levels did not explain these differences, and no serious cardiovascular events occurred. The distinct temporal profiles suggest the two psychedelics may activate the cardiovascular system differently in clinical populations, though the findings are preliminary due to the small sample and retrospective design.
medRxiv
December 1, 2025
Tatiana Aboulafia Brakha, Albert Buchard, Cédric Mabilais et al.
preprint
In a real-world clinical setting, a single dose of LSD (100 µg) or psilocybin (25 mg) combined with psychotherapy significantly reduced depression and anxiety symptoms in 115 adults with treatment-resistant disorders. Symptoms were measured one to three months after treatment, with no serious adverse events. Patients also showed reduced rumination, self-blame, and catastrophizing, along with increased positive refocusing and reappraisal. Both substances produced comparable clinical benefits despite different subjective effect profiles. The findings suggest that psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is feasible and effective in routine specialized care.
Research Square
December 1, 2025
Albert Buchard, Federico Seragnoli, Michel Sabé et al.
Early maladaptive schemas (EMS) are common in people seeking psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and are strongly linked to baseline depression and anxiety. In 192 adults assessed for EMS and 74 patients followed through psilocybin- or LSD-assisted therapy, baseline schema burden—especially around failure and defectiveness—was tied to cognitive-depressive symptoms. However, schema burden did not predict the quality of the acute psychedelic experience or moderate overall symptom improvement. Patients experienced significant reductions in depression and anxiety with each session, but these changes depended on initial symptom severity, not their schema profile. Treatment effects were similar for psilocybin and LSD. The findings indicate that EMS are useful for identifying cognitive-emotional themes, such as core beliefs about failure, to address during psychotherapeutic integration, rather than for patient selection or outcome prediction.
SUCHT - Zeitschrift für Wissenschaft und Praxis / Journal of Addiction Research and Practice
December 1, 2025
Alexander Wopfner, Thilo Beck, Louise Penzenstadler
The Swiss Society for Addiction Medicine (SSAM) advocates for evidence-based, patient-oriented treatment of addiction disorders. Given recent scientific findings and international developments, SSAM evaluates psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAT) with classic psychedelics such as LSD or psilocybin and the atypical psychedelic ketamine as a therapy option for addiction disorders when guideline-based treatments do not provide sufficient stability. SSAM also supports an open, evidence-based debate on the legalization and appropriate regulation of classic and atypical psychedelics, including LSD, psilocybin, and the most widely used non-medical entactogen MDMA, in Switzerland. This includes both therapeutic applications and use outside a medical context to promote harm reduction and enable access to safe, quality-controlled substances.
Psychoactives
September 1, 2025
M Mercier, Cédric Mabilais, Vasileios Chytas et al.
A patient with persistent somatoform pain disorder and recurrent depressive disorder underwent four sessions of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy. The intervention was associated with reduced negative impact of pain on daily life, increased pain acceptance, improved quality of life, and fewer depressive symptoms. The case suggests that psychedelics combined with psychotherapy may offer a novel approach to chronic pain treatment, though controlled studies are needed.
Psychoactives
August 1, 2025
L. Cazorla, S. Alaux, C. Amberger et al.
Salivary oxytocin levels changed significantly over time during a single LSD-assisted psychotherapy session in people with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder. Perceived psychedelic intensity also varied significantly. These findings suggest oxytocin may serve as a biomarker for the therapy's effects. The study was a small observational pilot; larger controlled trials are needed to confirm the results and clarify how oxytocin dynamics relate to changes in depressive symptoms and mental flexibility.
Revue medicale suisse
April 23, 2025
Louise Penzenstadler, Sandra Baudois, Alma Lingenberg et al.
Psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD, acting through 5-HT2A receptors, rapidly and lastingly improve depression and anxiety by modulating neuroplasticity and brain connectivity. They may also help with addictions, post-traumatic stress, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. This article explores their potential in Parkinson's disease, both for treating depression, anxiety, and impulse control disorders and for neuroprotection. Psychedelics stimulate synaptogenesis, increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and have anti-inflammatory effects. However, clinical trials are needed to confirm safety and efficacy in Parkinson's disease.
Revue medicale suisse
February 14, 2024
Aude Molinard-Chenu, Georgios Tsimploulis, Louise Penzenstadler et al.
Psychedelics are being investigated as a new therapeutic approach for chronic pain. They can influence the serotonergic system, which affects central pain sensitization. Ketamine, already used for chronic pain, can reduce pain, but more studies are needed on its long-term effectiveness. Classic psychedelics are also drawing interest for their potential analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and functional effects, though research is limited. These findings encourage further investigation.
Research Square (Research Square)
May 12, 2023
Gabriel Thorens, Louise Penzenstadler, Leonice Furtado et al.
A patient with generalized anxiety disorder and claustrophobia who had not improved with conventional therapy underwent three sessions of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy that included both imaginary and real exposure to an elevator. After treatment, anxiety and fear of closed spaces, elevators, and planes decreased. Scores on the Beck Depression Inventory-II, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Fear Questionnaire showed significant improvement. The patient reported feeling more relaxed, more willing to face fearful situations, and a shift in perception of fearful stimuli, possibly reflecting new memory representations and a disconfirmatory experience.