Psychiatry Research Case Reports
July 15, 2022
Mika Turkia
14 citations
A teenager with early complex trauma from chronic domestic violence developed auditory hallucinations after using cannabis and was diagnosed with an acute schizophrenia-like psychotic disorder. Antipsychotic medication did not fully resolve symptoms. The teenager then self-medicated with LSD, carrying out six unsupervised sessions, followed by almost daily use of inhaled low-dose DMT. Psychotic symptoms mostly resolved after about one year, though subsequent cannabis use caused a transient relapse. LSD and DMT did not promote psychotic symptoms and resolved the suicidal condition in one session. High-dose LSD and low-dose DMT sessions appeared to resolve symptoms related to early complex trauma, possibly by providing access to traumatic memories. Information came from medical record excerpts, a semi-structured retrospective video interview, and follow-up interviews a year later.
Psychiatry Research Case Reports
April 26, 2023
Eric N. Kramer, Kalyn Reddy, Bryan Shapiro
7 citations
A 30-year-old man with no psychiatric history attempted suicide by stabbing himself in the neck after ingesting psilocybin. Although most existing evidence suggests psilocybin use lowers suicidality risk, this case indicates that serious adverse events such as suicide attempts may occur. Further research is needed to determine whether psilocybin can increase suicidality risk, and if that risk depends on dose or the user's mindset and environment.
Psychiatry Research Case Reports
December 7, 2024
Yumin Kim, Rachel Bigley, Aubrey DeVinney et al.
4 citations
Three cases from a dual diagnosis inpatient psychiatry unit in 2023 illustrate distinct adverse effects of psilocybin use. Intermittent use led to prolonged psychosis requiring higher and longer neuroleptic treatment; frequent short-term use culminated in paranoia and a serious suicide attempt treated with neuroleptics; long-term microdosing preceded mania-like symptoms—grandiosity, irritability, physical aggression—that resolved after stopping psilocybin. As psilocybin becomes more accepted and prevalent, clinicians lack guidelines for managing its complications. This case series describes varied presentations, management strategies, and treatment responses to provide insight into this unknown territory.
Psychiatry Research Case Reports
March 24, 2025
Dan Petrovitch, Jacob Spinks, H.J. Yoo et al.
3 citations
A 28-year-old woman treated for alcohol and opioid use disorder underwent a collaborative treatment plan combining ketamine-assisted psychotherapy with psychosocial and 12-step-based treatments. Qualitative analysis of her lived experience indicated that ketamine played an important role in her self-reported recovery, as she attributed psychological and spiritual changes to the treatments. Her ketamine-induced experiences overlapped with the 12 steps, particularly in recognizing the seriousness of her substance use disorder, committing to change, developing spirituality, and repairing interpersonal relationships. These points of overlap could be useful for clinicians treating 12-step-involved patients with ketamine.
Psychiatry Research Case Reports
October 18, 2023
Giacomo D’andrea, Ornella di Marco, Francesco Maria Semeraro et al.
1 citation
A 56-year-old man with rapid cycling bipolar disorder, experiencing four or more mood episodes per year, received esketamine nasal spray during a depressive episode and was followed for 18 months. He showed substantial mood stabilization, with only a brief depressive episode when treatment was stopped for three months, which resolved after restarting esketamine. Mild dissociative symptoms occurred with initial doses, but no other serious side effects were reported. This case suggests esketamine nasal spray may have mood-stabilizing effects for rapid cycling bipolar disorder, a condition that often responds poorly to lithium and standard treatments.
Psychiatry Research Case Reports
May 22, 2026
Albert Yeung, Huiqiong Deng, Wendy Feng et al.
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) may offer a viable treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Asian American patients, who face cultural barriers such as stigma and collectivist values that complicate mental health care. In a case study of a 26-year-old Asian American woman with chronic PTSD from childhood abuse and neglect, 11 intramuscular ketamine sessions (mean dose 88.2 mg) over eight months, paired with integration therapy, led to symptom improvement on standardized measures (PCL-5, PHQ-9, GAD-7). The patient's choice to work with an Asian therapist highlighted the importance of cultural concordance. KAP remains understudied in Asian communities.
Psychiatry Research Case Reports
August 20, 2023
Brian S. Barnett, Amit Anand
A patient with treatment-resistant bipolar depression who had previously experienced severe neuropsychiatric side effects from ketamine was successfully pre-treated with lamotrigine. She tolerated the ketamine infusion well and her depressed mood improved rapidly. This case suggests that concurrent lamotrigine treatment may improve tolerability for patients with bipolar depression who have had neuropsychiatric side effects from ketamine.
Psychiatry Research Case Reports
July 26, 2023
Gregory W. Kirschen, Mary E. Shorey, Joan C. Han et al.
A woman with a history of childhood sexual abuse and a past suicide attempt developed a dissociative identity episode upon emerging from anesthesia. The episode lasted 90 minutes and resolved on its own; she was discharged safely two days later. This case suggests that anesthesia can be a trigger for dissociative identity disorder (DID) in vulnerable individuals, adding to known psychosocial precipitants. The authors propose a mechanism involving anesthesia's effects on functional brain connectivity as a unifying hypothesis.