Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
August 19, 2021
Brian S. Barnett, Yvan Beaussant, Franklin King et al.
64 citations
Psychiatrists attending psychedelic didactic presentations at two national meetings largely believe psychedelics show treatment promise and strongly support federal funding for medicinal psychedelic research. The most common concerns were lack of trained providers, logistics of therapy delivery, administration for patients with contraindications, and diversion. Desired educational topics included potential benefits, how to conduct therapy, pharmacology, and side effects. Factors associated with increased belief in treatment potential included working primarily in research, higher psychedelic knowledge test scores, and less concern about addictive potential. Support for legalization of non-medicinal use was negatively associated with age and positively associated with support for medicinal legalization.
J Palliat Med
April 13, 2021
Yvan Beaussant, James Tulsky, Benjamin Guérin et al.
34 citations
Researchers from palliative care, psychosocial oncology, spiritual care, oncology, and psychedelic-assisted therapies identified seven key opportunities for advancing research on psychedelic-assisted therapy for people with serious illness. Four opportunities relate to science and design: clarifying which conditions the therapy is indicated for, developing and refining therapeutic protocols, investigating how set and setting affect outcomes, and understanding mechanisms of action. Three opportunities concern institutional and societal drivers: education and certification for therapists, regulations and funding, and diversity and inclusion. Participants also noted epistemological limitations of the medical model for understanding psychedelics' therapeutic value.
American Journal of Psychiatry
January 1, 2024
Eduardo Ekman Schenberg, Franklin King, João Eusébio Da Fonseca et al.
31 citations
Psilocybin has shown remarkable potential in psychiatry, with a study involving 100 participants revealing that 70% experienced significant reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms after treatment. This psychedelic compound, derived from mushrooms, is gaining traction in psychoanalysis and psychology for its therapeutic effects. Psychotherapists are increasingly scrutinizing its efficacy compared to traditional therapies. The chemical synthesis of psilocybin and its alkaloids could revolutionize mental health treatment, offering new avenues for those struggling with severe psychological conditions.
General Psychiatry
December 1, 2019
Eric Bui, Franklin King, Andrew Melaragno
14 citations
Progress in developing new medications for anxiety and stress-related disorders has been limited over the past 30 years, but researchers are now investigating novel molecular pathways beyond the traditional monoamine systems. Enhancing psychotherapy with pharmacological compounds could transform the standard of care and introduce a paradigm shift in how medications are conceptualized in psychiatric treatment. More human trials and translational research are needed, but pursuing innovative mechanisms is expected to yield substantial results and move beyond the reliance on 20th-century chemical agents.
Focus (Am Psychiatr Publ)
June 17, 2020
Franklin King, Rebecca Hammond
13 citations
Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is reemerging as a potential treatment for anxiety disorders, with accumulating evidence and likely FDA approval within 2-3 years. However, the field faces regulatory barriers, lack of clinician education, stigma, high costs, and a shortage of trained personnel. Ethical issues include responsibility toward indigenous peoples who historically used psychedelics and ongoing disparities in mental health access.
Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine
March 1, 2025
Franklin King, Brian S. Barnett, Erin E. Mauney
11 citations
Psychedelic-assisted therapy, using substances like MDMA and psilocybin, shows preliminary efficacy for depression, PTSD, and substance use disorders. Psilocybin, MDMA, and LSD have been designated breakthrough therapies by the FDA. However, in August 2024, the FDA declined to approve MDMA and requested an additional phase 3 trial. Clinicians should prepare for the possible return of psychedelics to medicine.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
January 1, 2025
Kabir Nigam, Franklin King, Fernando Espi Forcen
4 citations
Ketamine is non-inferior to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for depression and is better tolerated than many second-line augmentation strategies. Currently viewed as a third-line agent for treatment-refractory depression, the available data suggest ketamine carries a low side-effect burden. Given the relationship between treatment outcomes and duration of untreated illness, the authors argue psychiatry should evaluate ketamine as a second-line augmentation strategy for refractory depression.
Psychiatric Annals
September 1, 2022
Michael Ljuslin, Kabir Nigam, Roxanne Sholevar et al.
4 citations
Anxiety, depression, adjustment disorder, and existential distress in seriously ill people often resist existing medical or behavioral interventions. A growing body of evidence suggests the safety and efficacy of psychedelic-assisted therapies (PATs) to improve these outcomes. As societal norms around the stigma of psychedelic agents shift, interest in integrating these treatment modalities into serious illness care increases. This article describes aspects of serious illness care that might be amenable to PATs, reviews evidence documenting the safety and efficacy of PATs in serious illness care, and highlights opportunities and challenges moving forward.
Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology
February 17, 2025
Erin Mauney, Franklin King, Helen Burton-Murray et al.
3 citations
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is common and often disabling, with many patients not helped by current treatments. Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT), using agents like psilocybin in a psychotherapeutic setting, has shown promise for certain psychiatric and chronic pain conditions. This editorial argues that PAT may also benefit IBS, based on three lines of evidence: psychological mechanisms from historic psychedelic studies for chronic pain, central nervous system effects like modulation of the default mode network and neuroplasticity, and the neurointestinal pathophysiology of IBS that PAT could modify. The authors suggest PAT is worthy of study as a new therapy for IBS and other disorders of gut-brain interaction, potentially moving beyond mind-body dualism.
Figshare
January 1, 2020
Brian S. Barnett, Yvan Beaussant, Franklin King et al.
3 citations
Psychiatrists attending national professional conferences vary in their knowledge and opinions about psychedelics and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies, as measured by a survey instrument. The instrument gauges both factual understanding and personal attitudes, revealing gaps in knowledge and a range of opinions that may influence clinical practice and future adoption of these therapies.
Journal of psychoactive drugs
July 2, 2025
Brian S Barnett, Miranda Arakelian, Jeremy Weleff et al.
2 citations
In 2023, a survey of 109 U.S. psychiatry residents found that most had limited formal education on psychedelics during training but strongly desired more instruction. 83.49% believed psychedelics hold promise for psychiatric disorders, though fewer (55.96%) saw similar potential for substance use disorders. Nearly 40% reported that psychedelic-related educational or research opportunities influenced their residency program rankings, and a similar proportion said the possibility of treating patients with psychedelics influenced their decision to pursue psychiatry. Higher knowledge scores and stronger belief in therapeutic potential were linked to greater influence on program ranking. The findings suggest a need to expand psychedelic-focused education in residency.
The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science
October 25, 2024
Kabir Nigam, Franklin King, Fernando Espi Forcen
2 citations
Ketamine appears highly effective for refractory depression, with fewer side effects and better tolerability than many other augmentation strategies. Evidence on mediators of psychiatric treatment outcomes suggests that using ketamine earlier in the course of treatment could improve patient outcomes.
General hospital psychiatry
January 1, 2026
Rebeca Cohen, João Bastos, Catarina Cunha et al.
1 citation
A case series of 12 patients with treatment-resistant depression treated with a novel protocol combining ketamine injections (0.5-1.5 mg/kg intramuscularly, 5-8 sessions) and brief psychodynamic psychotherapy found that 67% responded and 58% achieved remission. Half of the patients maintained remission at 3-month and 1-year follow-ups. Ego dissolution during the third ketamine session correlated with symptom improvement and psychological insight. The results suggest that combining ketamine with psychotherapy may enhance and prolong antidepressant effects beyond ketamine alone.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
June 1, 2026
Brian S Barnett, Akhil Anand, Jeremy Weleff et al.
Among US adults who first used LSD at least 5 years ago, only 4.2% reported using it in the past year. Past-year use dropped sharply with time since first use, from 14.4% among those who started 5 years ago to 0.1% among those who started 46–50 years ago. Factors linked to past-year use included being male, never married, living in poverty, higher education, lifetime stimulant use, recent contact with drug sellers, having sold illegal drugs, perceiving LSD as lower risk and more available, and a past-year suicide attempt. Having children at home, living in a small metro area, and more years since first use were linked to lower odds. Perceived risk and availability showed the strongest associations.
JAMA Psychiatry
July 15, 2026
Brian S. Barnett, Franklin King
The regulation of Schedule I substances like psychedelics can follow a pathway similar to that of sodium oxybate, a product of gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB). This Viewpoint reviews the case of sodium oxybate to illustrate how such substances might navigate regulatory approval despite their current legal status.
The primary care companion for CNS disorders
June 25, 2026
Franklin King, Juliana Zambrano, Erin Mauney et al.
No Summary
The primary care companion for CNS disorders
June 23, 2026
Franklin King, Brian S Barnett, S Trevor Taylor et al.
No Summary
The American journal of psychiatry
January 1, 2025
Sharmin Ghaznavi, Jeremy N Ruskin, Stephen J Haggerty et al.
As psychedelics gain popularity as potential therapeutics, understanding their risks becomes as important as studying their benefits. This review examines known and potential harms, including enduring perceptual disturbances, triggering or worsening mania or psychosis, overuse and dependence, challenging experiences ("bad trips"), risks from increased neuroplasticity, and acute and cumulative cardiovascular effects. The authors call for continued research and monitoring, especially as these substances move into broader, less controlled use.