Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
March 12, 2025
Zusanna Bjurenfalk, Alva Cosmo, Otto Simonsson et al.
3 citations
People who had ever used classic psychedelics such as LSD or psilocybin showed 25% lower odds of reporting frequent bad headaches, based on data from over 11,000 British adults. The analysis controlled for many other factors, suggesting a possible protective association. This finding adds to evidence that classic psychedelics might one day be developed as preventive treatments for migraine and cluster headache, though the study cannot prove cause and effect.
The Journal of rural health : official journal of the American Rural Health Association and the National Rural Health Care Association
January 1, 2025
Melissa Bradley, Daniel Grossman, Otto Simonsson et al.
1 citation
Rural residents in the United States are 1.2 to 1.4 times more likely than urban residents to perceive using LSD once or twice as of great risk, based on national survey data from 2015 to 2021. The perception of monthly cannabis use as having great risk was slightly higher among rural residents only until 2019, with no significant differences in 2020 and 2021. These rural-urban differences in risk perception could influence policymaking on psychedelic therapies and highlight the need for equitable policies.
Research square
May 19, 2026
Sunjuri Sun, Claudia Hanson, Peter S Hendricks et al.
The evidence on child and maternal outcomes after exposure to classic psychedelics during pregnancy is very sparse and of very low certainty. A systematic review of 42 studies, mostly case reports from high-income countries, found that LSD was the most commonly reported substance. Outcomes reported included spontaneous abortions (2 studies), stillbirth (1 study), neonatal mortality (16 studies), preterm birth (17 studies), birthweight (15 studies), and congenital malformations (26 studies). No maternal deaths were reported. Because of small sample sizes and varied study designs, no meta-analysis was possible. The authors conclude that methodologically rigorous research on psychedelic use during pregnancy is urgently needed.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
May 1, 2026
Otto Simonsson, Sunjuri Sun, Laura W Wesseldijk et al.
In a large twin study using the Swedish Twin Registry, people who reported using psychedelics had lower odds of having a history of migraine. Among identical twins, the twin who used psychedelics was less likely to have migraine than their co-twin who did not. The association was significant in males but not in females. These results suggest a possible link between psychedelic use and reduced migraine likelihood, with sex differences that need further study.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
May 1, 2026
Otto Simonsson, Taylor Lyons, Joseph Marks et al.
Across three studies—a naturalistic observation, a single-arm psilocybin trial with healthy volunteers, and a randomized controlled trial comparing psilocybin to escitalopram in depressed patients—psychedelic use did not produce significant changes in authoritarian attitudes. Contrary to earlier suggestions, the evidence does not reliably show that psychedelics decrease authoritarian attitudes. Future work should use larger, more diverse samples and examine other political outcomes.
Scientific Reports
February 10, 2026
Michelle Olofsson, Kasim Acar, Otto Simonsson et al.
Lifetime MDMA use was not significantly associated with meaning in life overall, but a significant interaction emerged: among Swedish adults with a history of childhood trauma, those who had ever used MDMA reported higher meaning in life than those who had not. Meaning in life was measured using the presence subscale of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire. The findings suggest MDMA use may relate to psychological resilience in trauma-exposed populations, though further longitudinal and experimental research is needed to test causal direction.
Scientific Reports
January 28, 2026
Nicholas A. Carlisle, Otto Simonsson, Sarah Maccarthy et al.
About one in five people who have used psychedelics report at least one major life change they attribute to the experience. Common changes involve relationships (6.9%), diet and exercise (6.2%), quitting alcohol, tobacco, or other substances (5.5%), and religious beliefs (5.5%). In a larger, more diverse sample, higher religiosity, younger age, and greater lifetime psychedelic use were strongly associated with reporting such changes. The findings suggest that major life changes after psychedelic use are not rare and may vary by demographic factors, but more longitudinal research is needed to understand their persistence, valence, and health impact.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
January 1, 2024
Otto Simonsson, Peter S Hendricks, Cecilia Ud Stenfors et al.
A longitudinal study with nearly 10,000 US and UK adults found that people who used psychedelics during a two-month period reported greater increases in unusual visual experiences compared to those who did not. The effect was strongest among first-time users. These visual experiences occurred after the acute drug effects had worn off. The findings support earlier case reports and cross-sectional studies suggesting that naturalistic psychedelic use may be linked to persistent visual phenomena, though further longitudinal research is needed to clarify cause-and-effect relationships.
November 22, 2023
Rosalind McAlpine, Katarina Krajnović, Maisha M. Khan et al.
preprint
A self-directed, 21-day digital course (Digital Intervention for Psychedelic Preparation, DIPP) was developed to help people prepare for psychedelic experiences. The course is based on a four-factor model of psychedelic preparedness: Knowledge-Expectation, Psychophysical-Readiness, Safety-Planning, and Intention-Preparation. It includes daily meditation, weekly exercises, and mood tracking. Development followed the UK Medical Research Council framework for complex interventions and used a person-centred, co-design approach. Interviews with 19 past retreat attendees and co-design workshops with 28 current retreat attendees shaped the intervention. DIPP offers a scalable, digital solution to enhance preparedness, aiming to limit adverse reactions and improve therapeutic benefits.