Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
October 10, 2023
Ashmita Grewal, Kalysha Closson, Gina Martin et al.
11 citations
People who experienced childhood adversity are more likely to suffer psychological distress. An online survey of adults who had used psilocybin in the past three months found that the link between adverse childhood experiences and current distress was weaker for those who had recently used psilocybin. Interest in and acceptance of psilocybin was high regardless of the severity of childhood adversity. The findings suggest psilocybin could be an acceptable and potentially helpful therapy for survivors of adverse childhood experiences, with the strongest benefits for those who faced the most severe adversity.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 19, 2024
Anne Baker, Niloufar Pouyan, Julie Barron et al.
9 citations
A survey of 107 people who provide psychedelic support services outside clinical trials found that 40.2% held a full or in-progress license and 44.9% lacked a relevant graduate degree. Almost all practitioners pre-screened clients, offered preparation, integration, and trip-sitting, and used primarily non-directive approaches. Clients most often consumed psilocybin for conditions similar to those in clinical research. Practitioners perceived mostly positive symptom changes, though a small proportion reported worsened personality disorder symptoms. Further research on naturalistic psychedelic-assisted therapy is needed.
British Journal of Pain
February 11, 2025
Anne Baker, Stephanie Lake, Philippe Lucas et al.
7 citations
Most people with chronic pain who use psychedelics to self-treat report ceasing or decreasing their use of other substances, especially alcohol and prescription opioids. In a survey of 466 adults, 86.3% said they stopped or reduced at least one non-psychedelic substance because of psychedelic use, with 21.2% reporting the decrease lasted over 26 weeks. Alcohol (71.1%) and prescription opioids (64.1%) were most often decreased or stopped. Illicit opioids (27.8%) and cannabis (21.5%) were more likely to be increased or initiated. Psilocybin was rated the most effective psychedelic for physical and mental health symptoms. Findings suggest potential benefits and risks of naturalistic psychedelic use for chronic pain.
Scientific Reports
April 15, 2026
Jacob S. Aday, Nicolas G. Glynos, Anne K. Baker et al.
A new questionnaire, the Psychedelic-related Major Life Changes Questionnaire (P-MLCQ), was developed to capture major life changes following psychedelic use that standard clinical measures miss. In a survey of 581 people who used psychedelics naturally, 83% reported at least one major life change influenced by their use, averaging 3.29 changes per person. The most common changes were in goals (54%), values (54%), and religion or spirituality (49%). These changes were rated highly positively on average. More frequent psychedelic use over the past five years was linked to more reported life changes. Women were 21% more likely than men to report changes, while older age and higher education were associated with fewer changes. The authors note that results may be influenced by positive bias and need replication in representative samples.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
August 4, 2023
Kasey Cox, Cody Weston, Moss Herberholz et al.
A survey of 1,221 adults who use psychedelics found that most do so without clinical support. Only 22% disclosed their use to a primary care provider, while 58% told a psychiatric provider. Participants had less confidence in primary care providers' ability to integrate psychedelics into treatment. Common reasons for not disclosing included stigma, lack of provider knowledge, and legal concerns. 23% took psychedelics on the same day as potentially interacting psychiatric medications. Although 81% desired therapist support during experiences, only 15% had received it. The disconnection from clinical care may lead to safety issues such as inadequate screening, lack of support for adverse events, and drug interactions.