bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
July 13, 2026
Natasha L. Mason, Eline Chm Haijen-Bongers, Kim P. C. Kuypers et al.
Female participants reported more intense subjective effects from psilocybin, 2C-B, and LSD than male participants, including feeling more strongly under the drug's influence, reduced vigilance, and impaired control and cognition, with medium-to-large effects consistent across the three drugs. No sex differences were found in empathy measures or peak drug concentrations in blood. These findings suggest pharmacodynamic mechanisms—how the body responds to the drug—rather than pharmacokinetic differences in drug exposure explain the sex differences. The results have implications for dosing, informed consent, and safety monitoring in psychedelic research.
Research Square
June 19, 2026
Aline Frick, Grace Blest‐hopley, Manesh Grin et al.
In a reanalysis of a six-week randomized controlled trial comparing psilocybin with escitalopram for moderate-to-severe major depressive disorder, sex-related patterns emerged for anxiety and anhedonia. Women receiving psilocybin showed greater reductions in anxiety than men, while women receiving escitalopram showed greater reductions in anhedonia than men. For other depressive symptoms, thought suppression, and well-being, sex differences were small and uncertain. Sexual dysfunction severity was lower overall in the psilocybin group than in the escitalopram group and lower in women than in men, though the treatment-by-sex interaction was not significant. These preliminary findings suggest that responses to these serotonergic treatments may differ between women and men, supporting the need for adequately powered, sex-balanced trials.
npj Mental Health Research
January 29, 2026
E. K. Argyri, F. Fraser, S. Schilling et al.
Psychedelic experiences can catalyze transformative shifts in worldview, particularly through integrating self-transcendent states. In a mixed-methods study of 90 participants, recalled awe from acute psychedelic experiences—specifically its vastness and connectedness components—was positively associated with greater perceived self-other overlap afterward. Thematic analysis identified three clusters of epistemic change: expanded awareness and openness to complexity, dissolution of societal and natural boundaries, and increased prosociality, compassion, and acceptance of difference. These patterns suggest that boundary-expanding experiences promote reflective meaning-making toward more holistic, interconnected frameworks for understanding self, others, and the world. Further research is needed to develop culturally attuned integration resources.