Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
April 28, 2011
Lone Overby Fjorback, Mikkel Arendt, Eva Ørnbøl et al.
810 citations
A systematic review of randomized controlled trials found that Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) improves mental health and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) reduces the risk of depressive relapse. The review included 21 studies with at least 33 participants each. MBSR showed medium effect sizes in 11 studies compared to wait-list or treatment as usual, and was as effective as active control groups in three studies. MBCT reduced depressive relapse in two studies and was equally effective as treatment as usual or active control in two others. Limitations include a lack of active control groups and long-term follow-up in many studies.
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
October 30, 2020
Kristoffer Andreas Aamodt Andersen, Robin Carhart‐Harris, David Nutt et al.
352 citations
A systematic review of 16 papers from 10 clinical trials (7 with psilocybin, 2 with ayahuasca, 1 with LSD) found that serotonergic psychedelics show promise for treating depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and substance use disorders. Across 188 patients with cancer- or illness-related anxiety and depression, major depressive disorder, OCD, or substance use disorder, the therapy appeared safe, with no severe adverse events reported. Therapeutic effects often lasted weeks to months after only 1 to 3 treatment sessions. The evidence supports feasibility and early efficacy, though larger trials are needed.
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
June 19, 2018
David Erritzøe, Leor Roseman, Matthew M. Nour et al.
268 citations
In patients with treatment-resistant depression, psilocybin therapy was associated with a decrease in neuroticism and increases in extraversion and openness three months later. These personality shifts moved toward normative population averages and were predicted by the degree of insight experienced during the psilocybin session. Conscientiousness showed trend-level increases, while agreeableness did not change. The pattern partly resembles changes seen with conventional antidepressants, but the pronounced rises in extraversion and openness may be more specific to psychedelic therapy.
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
September 21, 2017
Felix Müller, Claudia Lenz, Patrick C. Dolder et al.
149 citations
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) alters consciousness by increasing functional connectivity between the thalamus and various cortical regions, particularly the right fusiform gyrus and insula. In 20 healthy participants given 100 μg LSD orally, thalamic connectivity changes correlated with subjective auditory and visual drug effects. These findings suggest that hallucinogenic effects may arise from enhanced cortical excitability through thalamocortical interactions, providing insight into the role of the 5-HT2A receptor in altered states of consciousness.
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
February 1, 1977
E. Brandrup, T Vanggaard
47 citations
A 30-year-old man with a severe compulsive-neurotic condition was treated with LSD over 1.5 years starting in autumn 1962. He became completely free of symptoms and experienced a positive personality change. During LSD sessions, he re-experienced early childhood events, especially from toilet training, which had shaped his compulsive character. The material aligned with Freudian theory. No interpretations were given; the patient was left alone during sessions except for brief check-ins, and he discussed his experiences afterward. The report details the procedure and cautions about patient selection for LSD therapy.
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
December 3, 2024
Vikas Menon, Parthasarathy Ramamurthy, Sandesh Venu et al.
15 citations
A meta-analysis of six randomized controlled trials (total 427 participants) found that psilocybin-assisted therapy produced significantly greater reductions in depression ratings than comparator treatments for major depressive disorder, including treatment-resistant depression. The effect was medium to large (standardized mean difference −0.72) at one week and persisted through six weeks. Response and remission rates were roughly 3.4 to 3.7 times higher with psilocybin therapy. However, the therapy carried a small increased risk of any adverse event, particularly headache and dizziness. Low heterogeneity across studies supports the reliability of these findings.
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
September 8, 2023
G. D’andrea, M. Pettorruso, T. Rhee et al.
8 citations
Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) often requires rapid symptom relief. Intravenous ketamine (KET-IV) and intranasal esketamine (ESK-NS) are glutamatergic agents that show rapid antidepressant effects, with KET-IV acting faster and ESK-NS providing long-term maintenance. The authors propose a "ketamine/esketamine bridge therapy" for further testing, modeled on a strategy from internal medicine: KET-IV would induce rapid effects, then patients would transition to ESK-NS for sustained benefit. This approach aims to address the limited accessibility of intravenous ketamine and leverage the scalability of the intranasal formulation, potentially benefiting patients with acute depression or suicidal ideation.
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
December 1, 2025
Liyang Yin, A. Imamog ̄lu, Gia Han Le et al.
3 citations
A single intravenous dose of ketamine may reduce symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The authors recommend future research to test whether combining ketamine with psychotherapy provides additional benefit and to investigate the biological mechanisms that explain symptom relief.
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
October 26, 2018
Charles L. Raison
The field of psychedelic medicine has undergone a dramatic transformation from fringe to mainstream psychiatry, driven by desperation for better treatments and promising research. Studies on psilocybin for cancer-related depression and anxiety show large effect size reductions, with over 50% of participants in clinical remission at 6 months after a single dose. In treatment-resistant depression, 47% achieved clinical response, with 66% maintaining response at 6 months. Psilocybin appears to produce lasting personality changes, decreasing neuroticism and increasing extraversion and openness. However, all studies are small, only two used randomized placebo-controlled designs, and blinding is difficult due to obvious acute effects. Larger trials are needed.