Current Neuropharmacology
January 5, 2024
Tamar Glatman Zaretsky, Kathleen M. Jagodnik, Robert Barsic et al.
73 citations
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects an estimated 12 million U.S. adults, and many remain symptomatic despite standard psychological and pharmacological treatments. Psychedelic compounds—including psilocybin, LSD, DMT, ayahuasca, MDMA, and ketamine—are being studied as potential therapies. This comprehensive review summarizes current PTSD treatments and their shortcomings, then examines clinical studies of psychedelic-assisted therapy for PTSD and related disorders. For each drug, the review covers history, psychological and somatic effects, pharmacology, and safety, along with proposed mechanisms for trauma treatment. It concludes with future directions to maximize therapeutic benefit and minimize risk for individuals and communities affected by trauma.
JMIR Formative Research
November 28, 2023
George Danias, Jacob Appel
13 citations
Interest in psilocybin and psychedelic therapy, measured by Google search volume, increased at higher rates after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared than before it. Searches for depression, anxiety, and addiction also rose during the pandemic. After an initial drop in searches for most terms when the pandemic began, interest in psilocybin and psychedelic therapy grew steadily and surpassed pre-pandemic levels. In contrast, interest in antidepressants returned to pre-pandemic levels without exceeding them. The findings suggest that public interest in psychedelic treatments may be linked to rising mental health concerns, but could also be driven by media coverage and novelty.
Research Square
August 22, 2025
Richard J. Zeifman, George Danias, Gabrielle Agin-Liebes et al.
2 citations
Psychedelics can acutely induce mystical experiences and elevated positive mood, which may contribute to the potential benefits of psychedelic therapy. However, there remains limited understanding of the occurrence and importance of specific positive emotional experiences within psychedelic therapy. Therefore, we examined the effects of psychedelics on positive emotional experiences and their association with improvements in mental health. Methods: Study 1 was an observational study of naturalistic psychedelic use. Study 2 used data from a clinical trial that compared psilocybin with escitalopram in individuals with major depressive disorder.
October 26, 2022
George Danias, Jacob Appel
Interest in psilocybin and psychedelic therapy, measured by Google search volume, increased at higher rates and to higher levels after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared than before. Searches for depression, anxiety, and addiction also rose during the pandemic, but only psilocybin and psychedelic therapy showed a sustained upward trend beyond prepandemic levels. Antidepressant searches initially dropped then returned to baseline, while cannabis and cocaine searches remained stable or declined. The authors suggest the increased interest in psychedelics may be partly driven by rising mental health needs and popular culture hype.