Psychopharmacology
September 1, 2019
Michael C Mithoefer, Allison A Feduccia, Lisa Jerome et al.
364 citations
A pooled analysis of six phase 2 trials found that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy significantly reduced PTSD symptoms in adults. Participants receiving active MDMA (75-125 mg) during manualized therapy sessions showed a large treatment effect (Cohen's d = 0.8) compared to those receiving placebo or low doses (0-40 mg). After two sessions, 54.2% of the active group no longer met PTSD diagnostic criteria versus 22.6% of the control group. Depression symptoms also improved more in the active group, though this difference was not statistically significant. MDMA was well tolerated with expected side effects. These findings supported advancement to phase 3 trials and FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation.
BJPsych Open
December 23, 2021
Zach Walsh, Özden Merve Mollaahmetoğlu, Joseph M. Rootman et al.
180 citations
A systematic review of 83 studies found that subanesthetic doses of ketamine produce rapid, short-lived antidepressant and anti-suicidal effects. Evidence for other psychiatric conditions is less robust but suggests similarly positive but transient benefits. The conclusions are tentative due to high risk of bias across the included studies. Optimal dosing, administration methods, and best forms of adjunctive psychotherapy require further investigation.
Journal of Psychopharmacology
October 17, 2017
Peter S. Hendricks, Michael Crawford, Karen L. Cropsey et al.
91 citations
Lifetime use of classic psychedelics, including psilocybin, is associated with lower odds of recent larceny/theft, assault, and arrests for property or violent crimes among over 480,000 U.S. adults surveyed from 2002 to 2014. In contrast, illicit use of other drugs generally increased the odds of these criminal behaviors. Lifetime classic psychedelic use was linked to higher odds of drug distribution, similar to other substances. The findings suggest a potential protective effect of psilocybin against antisocial criminal behavior and support further clinical research in forensic settings.
Scientific Reports
November 18, 2021
Joseph M. Rootman, Pamela Kryskow, Kalin Harvey et al.
78 citations
Among self-selected users of a mobile app, people who microdose psychedelics (mostly psilocybin, 85%) were similar demographically to non-microdosers but more often reported a history of mental health concerns. Within that group, microdosers had lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress across genders. Health and wellness motives were the most common reasons for microdosing, especially among women and those with mental health concerns. The findings highlight a need for rigorous longitudinal research on microdosing's mental health effects.
International Review of Psychiatry
July 4, 2018
Zach Walsh, Michelle S. Thiessen
65 citations
Third wave behaviour therapies, such as Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, share theoretical foundations and mechanisms of action with psychedelic-assisted therapy, including enhanced mindfulness, decentering, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance. Both approaches have demonstrated therapeutic potential for problematic substance use, self-directed and other-directed violence, and mood disorders. The evidence suggests that integrating psychedelic-assisted therapy with these third wave therapies could be a promising avenue for future research.
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.
Scientific Reports
June 30, 2022
Joseph M. Rootman, Maggie Kiraga, Pamela Kryskow et al.
53 citations
A naturalistic observational study followed 953 people who microdosed psilocybin (taking small, non-hallucinogenic doses of psychedelic mushrooms) and 180 non-microdosers for about 30 days. Small to medium improvements in mood and mental health were observed among microdosers, consistent across gender, age, and pre-existing mental health concerns. Older adults showed specific improvements in psychomotor performance. Combining psilocybin with lion's mane mushrooms and niacin did not affect mood or mental health changes, but among older microdosers, this combination was linked to greater psychomotor improvements than psilocybin alone or with lion's mane. These findings add controlled evidence to the growing research on psychedelic microdosing.
Therapeutic advances in psychopharmacology
January 1, 2023
Vivian W L Tsang, Brendan Tao, Shannon Dames et al.
19 citations
A retrospective chart review of 128 participants in a 12-week ketamine-assisted group therapy program found that the treatment was well tolerated, with no dropouts. Across 448 sessions, elevated blood pressure occurred after 49.16% of sessions, while nausea affected 12.05% of participant-sessions, vomiting 2.52%, headache 3.35%, and dizziness in seven participant-sessions. Adverse events were transient and resolved with rest or medication. The findings suggest good safety and tolerability for intramuscular and sublingual ketamine dosing in a community group psychotherapy setting.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
September 6, 2021
Elena Argento, Devon Christie, Lindsay Mackay et al.
12 citations
The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to have lasting effects on mental health, adding to the pre-existing global burden where 1 billion people suffer from mental health disorders, with depression and anxiety costing US$1 trillion per year. Among hospitalized COVID-19 patients in China, about 96% experienced post-traumatic stress symptoms, and studies of ICU patients with previous coronaviruses show 30-40% rates of PTSD, depression, and anxiety persisting months after discharge. Indirect exposure through media or worry also triggers PTSD. Pandemic conditions—uncertainty, grief, isolation, economic instability, and reduced service access—exacerbate mental health problems and substance use, with fatal overdose spikes in North America disproportionately affecting racialized groups. The authors argue for considering psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy as a novel approach with potential antidepressant, anxiolytic, and anti-addictive effects that may foster connectedness.
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.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
September 1, 2024
Michelle St Pierre, Lucas Standing, Yarissa Herman et al.
3 citations
A cross-sectional survey of 791 adults who use psychedelics found that 80% used them for therapeutic purposes, but only 30% of those therapeutic users had discussed this use with their physician. Barriers included stigma, perceived lack of physician knowledge about psychedelics, and legal concerns. Patients with mood disorders or posttraumatic stress disorder, and those who used ketamine, were more likely to have such discussions. The findings indicate most therapeutic psychedelic users are hesitant to talk with their doctors about it, highlighting factors that may facilitate or hinder patient-physician communication on this topic.
PloS one
January 1, 2024
Elena Argento, Tashia Petker, Jayesh Vig et al.
3 citations
Therapists who provide ketamine-assisted therapy (KAT) believe that their own personal psychedelic experiences help them better understand clients' experiences and strengthen the therapeutic relationship. All eight therapists interviewed, all formally trained in KAT, expressed a desire for formal experiential training, which they viewed as missing from their current education. Additional themes included the importance of relational safety and the therapeutic container, KAT's impact on professional development, and navigating risks, especially with clients who have complex trauma. The findings indicate a need for enhanced training and evidence-based standardization of psychedelic-assisted therapy programs that incorporate experiential learning.
Psychopharmacology
October 11, 2025
Michelle St Pierre, Elena Argento, Jordyn Cates et al.
On days when adults microdose psychedelics, they report higher levels of wellbeing, productivity, creativity, connectedness, contemplation, and focus compared to days they do not microdose. The increase in creativity is especially pronounced among people who have previously used larger doses of psychedelics. These findings come from a large international survey of 1,435 adults who microdose, using daily-level self-reports that reduce reliance on memory. Because the study is observational and exploratory, the results should be interpreted cautiously.