The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry
October 1, 2024
Zohaib Nadeem, Stephen Parker, Hugh McGovern et al.
19 citations
A survey of 502 Australians, 64.5% of whom self-identified as having a mental illness, found that 43% favored legalizing psychedelics for medical use and 52.4% were open to their use, but only 24% viewed their effects positively and 33% considered them safe. Most participants (61%) had never used psychedelics. People with mental illness were more likely to have used psychedelics (44.1%) than those without (29.7%). Experience, perceived knowledge, and actual knowledge predicted attitudes toward legalization, effects, risks, and openness. While many Australians support medical legalization, safety concerns persist. Those with mental illness, prior recreational use, or greater knowledge held more positive attitudes.
Progress in brain research
January 1, 2019
Stephen Parker
15 citations
Consciousness research in cognitive neuroscience has largely focused on collaborations with Buddhist meditators, but an earlier thread from the 1960s Menninger Foundation studies with Swāmī Rāma remains underexplored. Those studies demonstrated the ability to enter deep, non-REM delta wave sleep while maintaining awareness (yoga-nidrā), offering potential benefits for relaxation and mindful awareness, and a path to deeper meditative states (samādhi) and turīya. This chapter aims to elucidate yoga-nidrā using traditional and contemporary descriptions, generate testable hypotheses, and address methodological challenges in training subjects capable of this state.
Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
July 15, 2025
Zohaib Nadeem, Stephen Parker, Hugh McGovern et al.
7 citations
Australian mental health clinicians—general practitioners, psychiatrists, and psychologists—generally hold positive attitudes toward psychedelic-assisted therapy, but concerns about safety and efficacy persist, especially among psychiatrists. Psychiatrists were significantly more likely than psychologists to perceive psychedelic use as unsafe under medical supervision and to question the scientific rigor of current research. Many clinicians relied on informal sources like podcasts and internet media for information, indicating gaps in evidence-based education. Clinicians who had personal experience with psychedelics were more likely to agree that these substances improve outcomes when combined with psychotherapy and show promise for treating psychiatric disorders. Targeted educational initiatives from professional bodies are needed to support informed clinical decision-making.
Journal of affective disorders
July 17, 2025
Alene Sze Jing Yong, Sue E Brennan, Suzie Bratuskins et al.
3 citations
Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration rescheduled MDMA in July 2023, permitting authorized prescribing for PTSD outside clinical trials. This manuscript describes development of an Australian Clinical Practice Guideline on MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD using the GRADE process. The guideline will compare benefits and harms of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy against other treatments, drawing on high-quality systematic reviews. A multidisciplinary Guideline Development Group will consider evidence certainty, patient values, resources, equity, acceptability, and feasibility. The guideline will be published on MAGICapp and disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conferences. A Companion Guide will be created for people with PTSD and their carers.
BMJ Open
April 1, 2025
Vanessa L. Beesley, Tom Kennedy, Fiona Maccallum et al.
2 citations
Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) affects up to 30% of bereaved carers in oncology settings, and current treatments fail up to half of participants. The PARTING trial is the first to test psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for cancer-related PGD. In this open-label pilot, about 15 participants receive a 25 mg dose of psilocybin with supportive guidance, plus preparation and integration sessions delivered by a psychologist and a nurse or Indigenous Therapist. Feasibility, safety, and acceptability are assessed through recruitment rates, adverse events, physiological measures, and qualitative interviews. Quantitative measures include grief severity, depression, anxiety, and quality of life over a 12-month follow-up.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
November 19, 2025
Hillary Ung, Gemma Mckeon, Zorica Jokovic et al.
1 citation
A systematic review and meta-analysis examined whether cognitive side effects of recreational MDMA (ecstasy) improve after at least six months of abstinence. Fourteen studies were reviewed; five were included in a meta-analysis of learning and memory. Both current and former MDMA users showed poorer learning and memory than people who never used MDMA (effect sizes of -1.06 and -1.37, respectively). There was no significant difference between current and abstinent users, and longer abstinence did not correlate with cognitive recovery. Evidence for impairments in other cognitive domains was limited. The authors note these conclusions rest on low-quality evidence.
medRxiv
February 21, 2025
Alene Sze Jing Yong, Sue Brennan, Suzie Bratuskins et al.
preprint
Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration rescheduled MDMA in July 2023, allowing its prescription for PTSD outside clinical trials. This manuscript outlines the development of an Australian Clinical Practice Guideline on MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD, using the GRADE process to weigh benefits and harms against other treatments. A multidisciplinary Guideline Development Group, supported by stakeholder and expert groups, will consider evidence certainty, patient values, resources, equity, acceptability, and feasibility. The guideline will be published on MAGICapp and in peer-reviewed outlets, with a companion guide for people with PTSD and their carers.