The British Journal of Psychiatry
July 1, 1999
David Semple, Klaus P. Ebmeier, Michael F. Glabus et al.
281 citations
Regular use of MDMA ('ecstasy') is associated with reduced binding of the serotonin transporter in the cortex, especially in the primary sensory-motor cortex, while dopamine transporter binding in the lenticular nuclei remains normal. This suggests that MDMA may cause specific, at least temporary, damage to serotonin-producing neurons in humans, which could contribute to psychiatric problems. The study compared ten male regular ecstasy users with ten well-matched controls using SPECT imaging with a serotonin transporter ligand.
The British Journal of Psychiatry
January 27, 2012
Robin Carhart‐Harris, Robert Leech, Tom A. Williams et al.
241 citations
Psilocybin, a classic psychedelic drug, may enhance the vividness and visual imagery of positive autobiographical memories. In a small study of ten healthy participants, functional magnetic resonance imaging scans showed that under psilocybin, compared to placebo, recollection of positive memories produced additional visual and sensory cortical activations in the late phase of recall. Participants also rated memories as more vivid and visually rich after psilocybin, and higher vividness correlated with greater subjective wellbeing at follow-up. These findings suggest psilocybin could be useful in psychotherapy for facilitating recall of salient memories or reversing negative cognitive biases.
The British Journal of Psychiatry
September 1, 1994
Philip Mcguire, Helen Cope, Thomas Fahy
187 citations
MDMA (Ecstasy) use may be linked to a wider range of mental health problems than previously recognized. In a series of 13 patients who developed psychiatric symptoms after using MDMA, eight had psychotic syndromes, two experienced visual disturbances, one had panic attacks, one suffered depression, and one reported chronic depersonalization. The psychotic symptoms in these patients closely resembled those seen in psychotic patients with no history of drug use, suggesting MDMA can trigger psychosis similar to primary psychotic disorders.
The British Journal of Psychiatry
November 1, 1988
Glenn Roberts, John R. Owen
117 citations
No Summary
The British Journal of Psychiatry
February 1, 1971
Nick Malleson
110 citations
Adverse reactions to LSD, such as suicide and prolonged psychosis, are well documented but mostly in cases of self-administration. A 1960 survey by Cohen pooled the experience of 44 American investigators who had published on LSD or mescaline, covering 5,000 subjects across 25,000 sessions. Only two suicides were directly linked to LSD. Psychotic reactions lasting more than 48 hours occurred at a rate of 0.8 per 1,000 experimental subjects and 1.8 per 1,000 patients. One-third of the investigators did not respond to the questionnaire, limiting the survey's completeness.
The British Journal of Psychiatry
June 1, 2005
Ben Sessa
97 citations
Psychedelic and hallucinogenic drugs, including LSD, mescaline, psilocybin, MDMA, and DMT, are widely distributed in nature and have been used by humans for thousands of years. The abstract does not report any specific findings, arguments, or conclusions beyond this historical and natural occurrence.
The British Journal of Psychiatry
March 1, 2017
Matthew M. Nour, Robin Carhart‐Harris
90 citations
Altered self-experiences, which occur in some psychiatric conditions and can be induced by psychoactive drugs or spiritual practices, are now being studied through a neuroscience framework that combines functional neuroimaging with altered states from psychedelic drugs. This emerging understanding may significantly benefit psychiatry.
The British Journal of Psychiatry
February 1, 2016
Robert A. Schoevers, Tharcila V. Chaves, Sonya M. Balukova et al.
80 citations
A review of 88 articles examined how ketamine is given (oral, intravenous, intranasal, subcutaneous) for treatment-resistant depression and chronic pain. The methodological quality of studies on ketamine's antidepressant effects was low for all routes. Doses used for depression were lower than those for pain. Studies on pain suggest that oral ketamine may be acceptable for depression in terms of tolerability and side-effects, but few studies have systematically examined longer-term negative consequences. The authors conclude that rigorous randomized controlled trials are needed to study short- and longer-term depression outcomes and side-effects.
The British Journal of Psychiatry
March 31, 2009
Sudhakar Selvaraj, Rosa Hoshi, Zubin Bhagwagar et al.
59 citations
Former MDMA users show no significant difference in serotonin transporter binding compared to non-users, suggesting that recreational MDMA use may not cause long-term damage to serotonin neurons in humans. The study measured serotonin transporter binding with PET imaging in 12 former MDMA users, 9 polydrug users who never took MDMA, and 19 controls with no illicit drug history. No differences in binding potential were found across any brain regions examined. These results challenge concerns from animal studies that MDMA use leads to persistent serotonin neurotoxicity in humans.
The British Journal of Psychiatry
January 1, 2015
Ben Sessa, Matthew W. Johnson
58 citations
After a 40-year pause, psychiatric research is revisiting psychedelic drug therapy, with studies examining psilocybin, ketamine, ibogaine, and ayahuasca for treating drug dependence. Clinical and legal limitations exist, but the potential to improve outcomes for patients with substance dependency creates an obligation to continue researching this area.
The British Journal of Psychiatry
October 1, 1968
57 citations
The text argues that the word 'right' is misleading when applied to mental events that lead to survival-enhancing behavior. It suggests that such mental sequences should be described with a neutral symbol instead, because calling them 'right' implies an intrinsic moral superiority that does not actually exist. The author contends that the label 'right' is merely a human designation for mental facts that happen to have practical survival value, not a reflection of any inherent quality.
The British Journal of Psychiatry
June 1, 1978
Clive E. Hyde, Graham Glancy, P. Omerod et al.
47 citations
Three patients who used the indigenous British mushroom Psilocybe semilanceata for hallucinogenic purposes experienced typical psychedelic effects, transient psychotic states, and more prolonged schizophrenia-like conditions. Two patients showed sympathomimetic signs, one of which was prolonged. The authors suggest that clinicians in medical or psychiatric emergency clinics should inquire about such mushroom abuse when evaluating patients.
The British Journal of Psychiatry
January 1, 1974
Barry G. Young
42 citations
LSD and schizophrenic experiences share many phenomenological features, but their similarity is complicated because, when examined in isolation, neither group differs significantly from control subjects on several measures. Key differences emerge primarily in the affective quality of the experiences and the presence of delusions in some schizophrenic states, which are not characteristic of LSD experiences.
The British Journal of Psychiatry
May 1, 1982
Henry David Abraham
40 citations
People who used LSD performed worse on a color discrimination test about two years after their last dose compared to non-users. Among the LSD users, those who did not experience flashbacks performed better than those who did. The differences between the three groups were statistically significant, suggesting that some LSD users may have a lasting or irreversible impairment in color discrimination.
The British Journal of Psychiatry
March 1, 1967
R. Middlefell
27 citations
In short-term therapy using 75 to 200 micrograms of LSD over one to six sessions, the author observed that suggestibility appeared to be affected by the drug, an effect rarely noted in standard classifications of LSD. Helpful remarks made while patients were under the influence of LSD often proved far more effective than the same remarks made in ordinary interviews. The author suggests that classifying the phenomena of LSD intoxication could be oriented toward therapeutic dynamics or rely on purely descriptive, symptom-based terms.
The British Journal of Psychiatry
April 1, 1970
R. Denson, Daniel Sydiaha
24 citations
Early reports suggested lysergide (LSD) helped various psychiatric conditions, but controlled studies failed to confirm a therapeutic effect. In this experiment, alcoholics and neurotics referred by Saskatoon psychiatrists for LSD treatment were randomly assigned to Treatment or Control groups. The Treatment group could receive up to five LSD sessions every two weeks, while the Control group was told therapy would be available after a twelve-month wait. Referring psychiatrists received accounts of the LSD experiences and continued standard treatment for both groups. The study aimed to test LSD's efficacy under controlled conditions.
The British Journal of Psychiatry
May 20, 2024
David Nutt, Ilana Crome, Allan H Young
18 citations
Australia has reclassified psilocybin and MDMA from prohibited substances to prescription medicines for treatment-resistant depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, respectively. The feature examines the rationale behind these regulatory changes, the potential benefits and difficulties they present to psychiatric practice, and how mental health professionals and healthcare systems can adapt to integrate these treatments.
The British Journal of Psychiatry
January 1, 1963
J. Robinson, Lyndon Davies, E. L. N. S. Sack et al.
18 citations
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD-25) is described as a valuable aid to psychotherapy, acting as a deep abreactive agent that can erupt early traumatic experiences from infancy, accompanied by emotional catharsis believed to provide therapeutic benefit. It is also claimed to facilitate and enhance the transference situation between patient and therapist.
The British Journal of Psychiatry
January 1, 1965
G. Sedman, J. C. Kenna
14 citations
LSD-25 may exaggerate catatonic and hebephrenic features in people with schizophrenia and produce a caricature of the personality in normal subjects. The drug's primary psychological effect is an exacerbation of existing symptomatology, achieved by weakening central functions and defense systems. Some early investigators considered LSD-25 of limited value as a diagnostic aid in psychiatry.
The British Journal of Psychiatry
September 1, 1974
J. Robinson, R. G. Chitham, Ronni Michelle Greenwood et al.
13 citations
LSD can be beneficial as an adjunct to psychotherapy for carefully selected patients, but concerns exist about potential chromosome damage in people who take the drug.
The British Journal of Psychiatry
September 1, 1980
Kenneth Dewhurst
9 citations
No Summary
The British Journal of Psychiatry
June 18, 2025
Kyle T Greenway, Nicolas Garel, Lê-Anh L Dinh-Williams et al.
8 citations
In a clinical trial of ketamine combined with psychotherapy for severe treatment-resistant depression, 32 participants received six ketamine infusions with psychological support, either with or without music. Both groups showed large and sustained reductions in depression, anxiety, and suicidality at four weeks, fully maintained at eight-week follow-up. The ketamine experiences were highly emotional and mystical, comparable to those seen with psilocybin. Converging analyses suggested that mystical-like experiences contributed to the immediate and lasting antidepressant effects. Music did not enhance outcomes or psychedelic experiences.
The British Journal of Psychiatry
December 5, 2024
Emma S Høgsted, Vincent Beliveau, Brice Ozenne et al.
4 citations
A positive association between serotonin 2A receptor binding in the brain and inward-directed facets of neuroticism—depression, anxiety, self-consciousness, and vulnerability to stress—was confirmed in a new cohort of 80 healthy volunteers using the tracer [11C]Cimbi-36. This association was independent of the cortisol awakening response, an index of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function. The findings suggest that interventions targeting the serotonin 2A receptor, such as psilocybin, might be especially effective when tailored to individuals' neuroticism profiles.
The British Journal of Psychiatry
March 30, 2026
1 citation
Psychedelics like psilocybin are being explored as a new treatment for depression, but their use requires psychological support alongside the drug. There is debate about the exact role of this support and who should deliver it, which affects how these treatments could be implemented in public health services like the National Health Service. The authors outline a model for delivering psychological support in publicly funded settings and call for further research to identify the essential elements of support. They emphasize that implementation must be based on high-quality evidence and ensure equitable access for all patients, not just those who can pay.
The British Journal of Psychiatry
July 6, 2026
Nick Glozier, Richard W. Morris, Elizabeth Stratton et al.
A 4-week course of subcutaneous racemic ketamine produced short-term clinical benefit in a minority of people with treatment-resistant depression, with response rates declining substantially after treatment cessation. Among 130 participants, 30% responded at treatment end (Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale reduction ≥50%), but only 17% remained responders 4 weeks later, and over 50% experienced less than a 25% reduction in depression scores. No difference in response was found between fixed and flexible dosing regimens. Prior ketamine treatment during an earlier randomized trial did not affect later outcomes. No suicides or suicidal behavior requiring admission occurred, and only expected side effects were observed.