Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology
January 1, 2022
Caroline Hayes, Mourad Wahba, Stuart Watson
17 citations
Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy faces unique challenges as it moves from research into clinical practice. Patients often arrive with overly positive expectations shaped by media coverage, and the drug's effects can increase suggestibility, requiring specially trained therapists. The authors recommend measures for phase 3 trials and clinicians to address these issues, aiming to help psilocybin become a licensed medication that suitable patients can access relatively easily. Practicing psychiatrists should be aware of these potential pitfalls, as they will be responsible for future prescribing.
BJPsych Open
November 1, 2024
Mourad Wahba, Caroline Hayes, Maartje Kletter et al.
6 citations
A participant in a phase 2b clinical trial of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression experienced increased suicidal ideation and a prolonged period of severely restricted eating after administration, leading to destabilization and need for support. Despite limited improvement on depression rating scales, the participant found the experience helpful and made beneficial life changes. The case suggests psilocybin can temporarily worsen suicidal ideation and cause prolonged adverse events beyond acute effects, while paradoxically improving functional outcomes not captured by standard scales. Qualitative exploration of serious adverse events and participant accounts is needed to better understand psilocybin's varied outcomes.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
May 13, 2025
Caroline Hayes
A fictional story, Cornutopia, by British-Nigerian author Irenosen Okojie, offers a critical outsider's perspective on the enthusiasm surrounding psychedelic research. The protagonist, a young Black woman, participates in a psychedelic clinical trial and has a negative experience, leaving her in worse condition than before. The narrative highlights issues of bias, patient vulnerability, and mistrust of healthcare professionals, which is significant given calls for greater diversity in trials and the potential role of race in set and setting. Based on themes in the story, recommendations are made to improve researchers' awareness of barriers to inclusion for ethnic minorities and to address possible racial differences in therapy outcomes.
Psychedelic Medicine
April 14, 2025
Caroline Hayes
The therapeutic potential of psychedelics is increasingly recognized, and 5-MeO-DMT is being considered for its antidepressant properties due to unusual features that may offer cost and practicality advantages for healthcare providers. However, these same features could limit its success as a mainstream depression treatment. There is very little existing research on 5-MeO-DMT, and it is rarely used even within the psychedelics community, which may exacerbate difficulties in recruiting diverse subjects for clinical trials. The article discusses hypothetical pros and cons of 5-MeO-DMT as an antidepressant and recommends measures for future clinical trials.