J Psychopharmacol
March 4, 2024
Alessia Marrocu, Hannes Kettner, Brandon Weiss et al.
51 citations
About 16% of people who used psychedelics in naturalistic settings showed a clinically meaningful decline in psychological well-being four weeks later. Those with a prior diagnosis of a personality disorder were disproportionately affected: 31% were negative responders, and multivariate regression indicated a greater than four-fold elevated risk of adverse psychological responses. The findings suggest that personality disorders may represent an elevated risk for psychedelic use, and that psychological support and a good therapeutic alliance may be especially important for this population.
PsyArXiv
October 17, 2023
Alessia Marrocu, Hannes Kettner, Brandon Weiss et al.
9 citations
preprint
About 16% of people who used psychedelics in naturalistic settings experienced a clinically meaningful decline in psychological well-being four weeks later. Those with a prior personality disorder diagnosis were disproportionately affected, making up 31% of negative responders and facing more than a four-fold elevated risk of adverse psychological responses. The findings suggest that personality disorders may heighten vulnerability to negative outcomes from psychedelic use, highlighting the need for careful screening and robust psychological support.
Research Square
October 15, 2024
Alexandra R. Gordon, Brennan M. Carrithers, Broc A. Pagni et al.
3 citations
Among individuals who reported a personality disorder diagnosis, psychedelic use was associated with improvements in mental health outcomes. In two observational studies, participants showed reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms lasting up to 2-3 months, with moderate to large effect sizes. Suicidal ideation decreased, and no participants moved to high risk of suicidal behavior after use. A small proportion experienced clinically significant worsening of anxiety (up to 8.2%) or depression (up to 7.1%). Transient increases in cognitive flexibility and sustained increases in cognitive reappraisal were observed, with the latter linked to reduced anxiety and depression. The findings are limited by small sample sizes and self-reported data.
BJPsych Open
June 1, 2021
Amber Elyse Corrigan, Ella Burchill, Lucy Pelton et al.
1 citation
Psilocybin, the active compound in 'magic mushrooms', combined with psychotherapy is safe and effective for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), the largest contributor to global disability. Its mechanism is not fully understood, but functional neuroimaging suggests short and long-term changes in default mode network connectivity, possibly a 'reset' mechanism that restores normal function and emotional responsiveness. The drug itself, the psychotherapeutic context, and post-drug integration all play significant roles. Despite promising findings, psilocybin is a Schedule I drug, creating ethical, legal, social, and economic barriers to widespread clinical implementation. Optimizing treatment parameters and systemic legislative change are needed before this therapy can become widely available.