The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
2 papers in the library · 2 citations · publishing 2025
Three-quarters of 254 mental health consumers surveyed in Australia expressed a desire to access psychedelic-assisted therapies (PATs) following government approval of MDMA for PTSD and psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. Acceptability scores showed strong agreement about PAT effectiveness, moderate social endorsement, and mixed feelings about expected efficacy. While prior recreational psychedelic use was linked to higher acceptability, multivariate analysis revealed that intentions to access PAT were more strongly associated with higher acceptability scores and poorer experiences with conventional therapy. Consumers seeking alternatives to conventional treatment may view PATs as desirable despite safety reservations.
MDMA (Ecstasy) use in early adulthood appears to be associated with higher odds of anxiety disorders by the mid-30s, but not with depressive disorders. Compared with non-users, those who reported past-year MDMA use had 1.73 times the odds of an anxiety disorder; persistent use at two or more waves was linked to 2.05 times the odds, infrequent use to 2.11 times, and frequent use to 2.56 times the odds. These findings come from a longitudinal population-based study in Victoria, Australia, following 1,943 adolescents into their mid-30s.