Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
March 21, 2021
Daniel Perkins, Jerome Sarris, Susan L. Rossell et al.
53 citations
Psychedelic substances such as psilocybin, ayahuasca, LSD, and MDMA are gaining renewed medical interest due to the need for new psychiatric treatments and promising study results. This viewpoint reflects on the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists' Clinical Memorandum on Psychedelics and notes regulatory developments, including applications for down-scheduling and access approvals. The authors argue that rigorous research is needed to assess benefits, safety, and therapeutic mechanisms. They summarize recent findings on mechanisms of action and the psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy model, suggesting medicinal psychedelics could become a new class of psychiatric treatments when used under medical supervision with psychotherapeutic support. However, sufficiently powered trials and safety protocols are required before clinical use, and untrained practitioner access could be harmful.
Frontiers in Neuroscience
February 4, 2020
Claire J. Foldi, Paul Liknaitzky, M.l. Williams et al.
52 citations
Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disease, and current medications are largely ineffective partly because the neurobiological drivers are poorly understood. Recent research into psychedelic medicine suggests psilocybin may alleviate symptoms related to serotonin signaling and cognitive inflexibility. Clinical trials for treatment-resistant depression show promise but have methodological biases. The first clinical trial using psilocybin for anorexia nervosa began in 2019, highlighting the need to understand the neurobiological mechanisms. Animal models, such as the activity-based anorexia rodent model, allow detailed study of brain function and behavior without the confounds of expectancy and bias, and are argued to be crucial for informing which patient subpopulations may benefit most from psychedelic medicine.
Journal of Music Therapy
January 1, 2020
Clare O’callaghan, Daniel John Hubik, Justin Dwyer et al.
50 citations
Music is considered integral to meaningful emotional and imagery experiences during psychedelic therapy, according to a rapid review of 10 studies involving 180 participants aged 18–69. Music in this context can convey love, carry listeners to other realms, be something to “hold,” inspire, and elicit a deep sense of embodied transformation. Its therapeutic influence is especially evident in dichotomous elicitations: music can simultaneously anchor and propel. Participant openness to music and participant-centered music selection are associated with optimal immediate and longer-term outcomes. Many studies reported scarce details about the music used and incidental findings of music experienced.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
November 4, 2021
M.l. Williams, Diana Korevaar, Renee Harvey et al.
23 citations
After a 40-year research hiatus due to sociopolitical issues, psychedelic-assisted therapies are being reinvestigated for mental illness. Clinicians and researchers in Australia identified five categories of challenge to moving these therapies from clinical trials to community practice: inherent risks, poor clinical practice, inadequate infrastructure, problematic perceptions, and divisive relationships. They propose strategies including public-sector support for research and training to establish best practices, funding for equitable access, and a multidisciplinary advisory body to guide policy. While framed in Australia, the challenges and strategies may apply elsewhere.
Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
November 22, 2019
Sally Meikle, Paul Liknaitzky, Susan L. Rossell et al.
19 citations
Psilocybin, a psychedelic drug, is gaining attention as a potential treatment for depression due to its mechanism of action, benefits in early trials, and relatively low side effect burden. This viewpoint outlines key unresolved issues for its clinical use: identifying which patients are most likely to benefit or experience adverse effects, understanding longer-term outcomes, and clarifying the role of psychotherapeutic support alongside the drug. There are also opportunities to better understand the neurobiology underlying its effects.
Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
May 3, 2023
Susan L. Rossell, Sally Meikle, M.l. Williams et al.
14 citations
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General Hospital Psychiatry
August 12, 2025
Margaret Ross, Ravi Iyer, M.l. Williams et al.
13 citations
Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy appears safe and may provide lasting relief from depression and anxiety for people facing a life-threatening illness.
Drug and Alcohol Review
April 10, 2017
Stephen Bright, M.l. Williams, David Caldicott
5 citations
Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies, using psilocybin, LSD, or MDMA, show promise for treating depression, anxiety, PTSD, and substance use disorders, with recent randomized controlled trials reporting significant improvements. For example, psilocybin-assisted therapy helped 80% of participants quit smoking at 6 months, and MDMA-assisted therapy led to 86% of participants no longer meeting PTSD criteria. Despite a renaissance in research elsewhere, Australia has conducted no such studies, facing barriers like institutional vetoes. The authors argue addiction researchers should follow these developments, as psychedelics may enhance psychotherapy for trauma-related substance use disorders, potentially paradigm-changing.
Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology
September 1, 2025
Sally Meikle, Olivia Carter, Paul Liknaitzky et al.
2 citations
In an open-label pilot trial, two 25 mg doses of psilocybin combined with psychotherapy produced a clinically meaningful reduction in depressive symptoms at 3 weeks in people with treatment-resistant depression. The average improvement was sustained at 20 weeks, but individual responses varied: two participants showed lasting benefit, three relapsed, and two did not improve. Mindset before dosing, spiritual experiences, and perceptual changes during the session predicted treatment trajectory, whereas treatment expectations did not. No serious adverse events occurred. The findings support further research into tailoring psilocybin therapy to individual variability.
October 7, 2024
J Pincombe, M.l. Williams, Sean Carruthers et al.
1 citation
preprint
A growing body of research suggests psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy may be an effective intervention for several mental health disorders. Researchers are increasingly using qualitative methods to capture rich contextual information. This scoping review will follow JBI guidelines to identify and analyze existing qualitative studies on psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for mental health disorders, excluding microdosing studies. The review will search PubMed, Scopus, PsycNET, and reference lists; two reviewers will screen papers. Findings will be presented narratively, analyzing trends in research questions and methods, and identifying opportunities for future qualitative research. Ethics approval is not required; results will be submitted for peer-reviewed publication.
The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
August 1, 2025
Susan Meikle, Olivia Carter, Paul Liknaitzky et al.
A small pilot trial of psilocybin with psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression found a clinically meaningful reduction in depressive symptoms three weeks after the second dose, with an average improvement of 7.14 points on the depression scale and a large effect size. However, individual responses varied widely: two participants showed lasting improvement, three relapsed, and two saw no substantial benefit. Mindset before dosing and spiritual or perceptual experiences during the session predicted treatment trajectory, but prior expectations did not. The study supports further research into tailoring psychedelic therapy to individual differences.