Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
January 1, 2025
Karen P Barrios, Dean J Connolly, Jason A Ferris et al.
17 citations
Ketamine use has increased globally, particularly among young men, yet emergency medical treatment for its toxicity is rare and often linked to other substance use. Analysis of over 130,000 Global Drug Survey responses found that 5.93% had used ketamine in their lifetime, with 57.70% using it in the past year. Past-year users were typically younger (average age 24.84 years), gay, students, and used other drugs. Among 4,477 past-year users, 120 adverse events occurred, with less than 0.10% requiring emergency medical treatment. The findings indicate frequent use but low harm, highlighting the need for tailored harm reduction and comprehensive screening for substance dependence.
Drug and Alcohol Review
November 5, 2024
Jordan J Negrine, Cheneal Puljević, Jason Ferris et al.
8 citations
Australian psychologists generally hold positive attitudes toward psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) following the 2023 regulatory changes that permitted psilocybin and MDMA in clinical services. Most view PAT as promising for chronic mental health conditions like depression, but express concerns about limited evidence on efficacy, potential adverse experiences, and the complexity of individualized treatment protocols. Many psychologists lack detailed knowledge about the interventions. The findings emphasize the need for comprehensive education and training programs, including exposure to psychedelic experiences and credible higher education institutions, to ensure competent administration of PAT.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
August 19, 2023
Liam Engel, Monica J. Barratt, Jason Ferris et al.
7 citations
Among 284 people who used mescaline in the past year, 20% had consumed wild-harvested Peyote. Those who preferred Peyote most often cited indigenous cultural traditions (57.8%), availability (40.0%), and environmental sustainability (33.3%) as motivations. San Pedro was the most common mescaline source (56.1%), and those who preferred it cited availability (54.7%), potency (45.3%), and indigenous cultural traditions (44.2%). Price and potency were significantly more important for San Pedro preferrers. Fewer than 7% of San Pedro users had consumed it from native habitats. The findings suggest that promoting cultivated San Pedro could reduce unsustainable wild Peyote consumption.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
August 1, 2024
Luke Baxter, Cheneal Puljević, Tim Piatkowski et al.
3 citations
Among 3,340 first-time LSD users surveyed internationally, nearly all (97.7%) found the experience exciting, and adverse side effects were rare; only 17 individuals required emergency medical treatment. Although 64.1% reported feelings of fear, these were typically very mild and did not deter most from wanting to use LSD again. The authors conclude that while the recreational LSD experience is generally pleasurable and unwanted effects are uncommon, harm-reduction education remains important to prevent possible risks amid rising illicit use.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
June 1, 2026
Gabrielle Smith, Timothy Piatkowski, Jason Ferris et al.
1 citation
People who self-treat psychiatric conditions with unregulated drugs often use ketamine alongside other psychedelics. Among 5831 respondents to the 2020 Global Drug Survey who self-treated diagnosed psychiatric conditions, over 60% had prior psychiatric diagnoses, most commonly depression and anxiety. Those using both ketamine and other psychedelics attended festivals and clubs more often and used ketamine more frequently. Those using only non-ketamine psychedelics showed a significant reduction in ketamine use. Nearly half sought online advice before starting ketamine self-treatment, suggesting online platforms are key for harm reduction resources.
Journal of sex research
January 16, 2026
Mason Levey, Benjamin Bonenti, Timothy Piatkowski et al.
People who reported having used psychedelics to cope with or overcome sexual trauma were significantly less likely to say the drugs improved their sexual communication compared to those who had not used psychedelics for that purpose. No significant difference was found in emotional connection between the two groups. Among those who had used psychedelics for trauma, women were significantly more likely than men to report improvements in both communication and emotional connection. The findings suggest that gender plays a role in how psychedelics affect intimacy, and more research is needed to guide harm reduction and trauma-informed care.