Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 12, 2017
Adele Lafrance, Anja Loizaga-Velder, Jenna Fletcher et al.
126 citations
Ayahuasca, a psychoactive plant-based tea used by Amazonian indigenous groups, may help heal eating disorders (EDs). In interviews with 16 people previously diagnosed with an ED, those who drank ayahuasca in a ceremonial setting reported reduced or stopped ED and mental health symptoms, shifts in body perception, and valued the ceremonial context and after-care. The preparatory diet sometimes triggered familiar concerns, but the ayahuasca purge did not trigger ED behaviors. The findings suggest ayahuasca warrants further research as a treatment for EDs.
Journal of psychiatric research
May 1, 2022
Timothy D Brewerton, Julie B Wang, Adele Lafrance et al.
81 citations
Among 89 individuals with severe PTSD enrolled in a placebo-controlled trial of MDMA-assisted therapy, 15% had eating disorder symptoms in the clinical range and 31.5% in the high-risk range at baseline, despite no active purging or low weight. After treatment, participants who received MDMA-assisted therapy showed significantly greater reductions in eating disorder symptoms compared to those who received placebo, especially among women with elevated baseline scores. The findings suggest that eating disorder psychopathology is common in severe PTSD and that MDMA-assisted therapy may reduce these co-occurring symptoms.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
October 20, 2021
Meg J. Spriggs, Hannah Douglass, Rebecca J. Park et al.
78 citations
Anorexia nervosa is a severe psychiatric condition with few approved treatments. This paper describes how individuals with lived experience of anorexia nervosa helped shape a pilot study of psilocybin-assisted therapy through two online focus groups involving eleven people, and presents the protocol for that study at Imperial College London. Twenty female participants aged 21–65 with a body mass index of 15 kg/m² or above will receive three oral doses of psilocybin (up to 25 mg) over six weeks, supported by psychological preparation and integration, with a 12-month remote follow-up.
Eating and weight disorders : EWD
April 1, 2020
Marika Renelli, Jenna Fletcher, Kenneth W Tupper et al.
76 citations
Ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian medicine, is being studied for mental health treatment. In this qualitative study, 13 people previously diagnosed with an eating disorder described their experiences with ceremonial ayahuasca and conventional treatment. Thematic analysis of interviews revealed that ayahuasca was associated with rapid reductions in eating disorder thoughts and symptoms, helped heal the perceived root of the disorder, processed painful feelings and memories, fostered self-love and self-acceptance, and catalyzed spiritual healing. The findings suggest ayahuasca may have potential as an adjunctive therapeutic tool, warranting further controlled clinical trials.
Journal of Psychopharmacology
May 29, 2018
Michelle S. Thiessen, Zach Walsh, Brian M. Bird et al.
58 citations
Men who had ever used LSD or psilocybin mushrooms were less likely to report having physically assaulted their current partner (odds ratio 0.42). This link was explained by better emotion regulation among male psychedelic users. The same pattern did not appear for women. The findings come from an online survey of 1,266 community members aged 16–70 and suggest that improved emotional control may be one reason psychedelic use is associated with lower intimate partner violence in men.
Journal of humanistic psychology
October 9, 2021
Adele Lafrance, E. Strahan, Brian M. Bird et al.
40 citations
A survey of 159 people who had used classic psychedelics found that such use was linked to greater spirituality, which in turn predicted better emotion regulation, and ultimately lower levels of anxiety, depressed mood, and disordered eating. The results suggest a pathway through which psychedelic use may improve mental health by first enhancing spirituality and then improving the ability to manage emotions. The findings add to evidence that cultivating spirituality and emotion regulation may be healing mechanisms, though the study does not establish causation.
Medical hypotheses
January 1, 2021
Timothy D Brewerton, Adele Lafrance, Michael C Mithoefer
28 citations
Eating disorders remain difficult to treat, especially when accompanied by posttraumatic stress disorder. MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for treatment-resistant PTSD shows promise, with two-thirds of participants achieving full remission at one year or more follow-up. The authors hypothesize this therapy will be effective for both eating disorder and PTSD symptoms in people with both conditions. MDMA's effects—reduced fear, enhanced wellbeing, increased sociability, reduced self-criticism, increased compassion, interpersonal trust, and alert consciousness—may counteract avoidance and hyperarousal in therapy. Other features like body image distortion, cognitive rigidity, and socio-emotional difficulties may also improve. Personal accounts describe benefit, but risks and challenges are noted.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
September 2, 2021
Cody Callon, Meris Williams, Adele Lafrance
20 citations
Ayahuasca ceremony leaders recommend that participants be honest, respectful, ready, and willing, and that they have internal and external resources before drinking. Complementary practices such as psychotherapy, spiritual and contemplative practices, and creative expression aid both preparation and integration. After ceremonies, sharing experiences and working with insights and lessons help integration, while some practices are considered ineffective. The findings align with other stakeholders' views on useful preparation and integration practices.
Journal of eating disorders
September 30, 2024
Adele Lafrance, Meg J Spriggs, Natalie Gukasyan et al.
8 citations
Psychedelic medicine, including psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT), may offer a valuable adjunct to existing treatments for eating disorders, particularly anorexia nervosa, by addressing underlying psychological and transpersonal factors and improving treatment engagement. Preliminary findings from multiple studies suggest promise, though risks remain. This commentary, informed by lived experience and authors' field experience, provides a rationale and multi-dimensional perspective for applying these models as they become more accessible in naturalistic, research, and clinical settings.
Journal of psychoactive drugs
January 1, 2023
Meris Williams, Annie Kingston Miller, Anja Loizaga-Velder et al.
8 citations
Ayahuasca, a psychedelic plant medicine from the Amazon, is being studied as a potential novel intervention for eating disorders (EDs), which have high mortality, chronicity, and treatment drop-out rates. Interviews with 15 ayahuasca ceremony leaders revealed two main categories of perspectives. Leaders conceptualized EDs as symptomatic of underlying concerns, serving a function and affecting health across multiple domains. They described ayahuasca's potential therapeutic mechanisms as facilitating energetic healing, helping identify and process the root of the ED, promoting holistic healing, and enhancing relationships. From ceremony leaders' views, ceremonial ayahuasca may offer a useful complementary intervention for EDs.
Eating disorders
January 1, 2024
Meris Williams, Annie Kingston Miller, Adele Lafrance
6 citations
Ayahuasca, a psychedelic plant medicine from Indigenous Amazonian communities, is being explored as a novel treatment for eating disorders (EDs), which are difficult to resolve. Aspects of ceremonial ayahuasca use, such as purging and dietary restrictions, resemble ED behaviors, raising concerns about its suitability. Interviews with 15 ayahuasca ceremony leaders, mostly from the West/Global North, revealed categories including screening for EDs, purging and dietary restrictions, potential risks, and complementarity with conventional ED treatment. The findings suggest careful screening and extra support can promote safe ceremony experiences. More research is needed on purging and preparatory diets. The ED field could collaborate with ayahuasca ceremony leaders in a decolonizing, bidirectional bridging between Western and Indigenous healing paradigms.
Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health
June 4, 2025
Sarah Forsberg, Amanda E Downey, Lindsey D Bruett et al.
5 citations
Psychedelic-assisted therapy is gaining interest for treating mental health conditions in adolescents, but safe and effective delivery requires careful consideration of caregiver involvement. Caregivers are essential in adolescent mental health treatment, supporting recovery and disrupting illness-maintaining patterns, while also needing resources to manage caregiving challenges. This review synthesizes evidence from adolescent mental health treatments, PAT best practices, and family systems theory to propose a framework for integrating caregivers into adolescent PAT. The family system is a critical setting that may shape PAT efficacy, analogous to the therapeutic setting (set and setting). Recommendations are provided for incorporating caregivers into PAT protocols to maximize safety and efficacy.
Neuroscience Applied
January 1, 2023
Hannah Douglass, Merle Spriggs, Kate Godfrey et al.
1 citation
No Summary
Br J Psychiatry
July 8, 2026
Hannah M. Douglass, Meg J. Spriggs, Kate Godfrey et al.
In a small pilot study, 21 women with anorexia nervosa received three doses of psilocybin (COMP360) over six weeks, combined with talk therapy and usual care. The treatment was well tolerated; common side effects were headache, nausea, and dizziness. Two serious adverse events (suicide attempts) occurred in one participant during the 6–12 month period. Eating disorder symptoms significantly improved at six months, and motivation to change improved at twelve months, though individual responses varied widely. The findings provide preliminary support for the feasibility and safety of psilocybin therapy in this population, but larger, more rigorous studies are needed.
SSRN Electronic Journal
Robin Sandell, Adele Lafrance, Olivia Gosseries et al.
In three people with incomplete spinal cord injuries who self-medicated with psilocybin, improvements in motor function, muscle activation, and strength were reported. One person with a C4–C5 injury noted better gait automaticity; another with a T7 injury regained activation of a previously non-responsive hamstring muscle; a third with a T12 injury experienced rapid strength gains and enhanced proprioceptive awareness. All three reported psychological benefits such as increased wellbeing, motivation for recovery, and improved adjustment. Benefits appeared greatest in partially innervated muscles and diminished after stopping psilocybin. Temporary spasticity was the only adverse effect. The authors suggest psilocybin may enhance recovery by amplifying existing neural pathways and call for controlled clinical trials.
Journal of eating disorders
May 6, 2022
Reid Robison, Adele Lafrance, Madeline Brendle et al.
In a small case series of five patients with eating disorders and co-occurring mood and anxiety disorders, group-based ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (G-KAP) delivered weekly over four weeks in a residential treatment setting was associated with clinically significant improvements in depression scores (PHQ-9) for four of five participants and in anxiety scores (GAD-7) for two of five participants, measured from before dosing to 24 hours after the final session. No serious adverse events occurred, and the protocol was reported as practical to implement. The findings suggest G-KAP may be a useful adjunct to intensive eating disorder treatment, though further research is needed.