
UP-TO-DATE, RESEARCH BASED INFORMATION ABOUT PSYCHEDELICS.
Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for treatment resistant depression: A randomized clinical trial evaluating repeated doses of psilocybin
Conclusions PAP was feasible in complex patients with preliminary antidepressant efficacy and adequate safety and tolerability. Repeated doses were associated with greater reductions in depression severity.
Subjective long-term emotional and social effects of recreational MDMA use: the role of setting and intentions
Our findings suggest that the long-term social-emotional benefits of MDMA are associated with whether users seek self-insight or have mixed intentions.
What predicts beneficial outcomes in psychedelic use? A quantitative content analysis of psychedelic health outcomes
Path analysis using structural equation modeling showed that psychological insight, not metaphysical beliefs, uniquely predicted beneficial outcomes. Moreover, beneficial outcomes’ positive relation to ego dissolution and therapeutic intent was fully mediated by psychological insight.
Development and psychometric validation of a novel scale for measuring ‘psychedelic preparedness’
Our studies provide compelling evidence for the existence of a measurable psychological state of psychedelic preparedness, which is predictive of positive acute and long-term outcomes associated with psychedelic use.
News just out ... the US FDA plans to respond to MAPS/Lykos MDMA licensing application on August 11th
The FDA has granted the application priority review and has assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date of August 11, 2024 to make the review determination.
Preliminary evidence for the importance of therapeutic alliance in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder
Among individuals with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder, therapeutic alliance predicted changes in posttraumatic stress disorder severity following MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. Therapeutic alliance may play a key role in facilitating therapeutic improvement within MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. Further research remains necessary to confirm these preliminary findings and the role of therapeutic alliance in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy.
Psychedelics and sexual functioning: a mixed-methods study
Despite focusing on different populations and settings, this is the first research study to quantitively investigate the effects of psychedelics on sexual functioning. Results imply a potential positive effect on post-acute sexual functioning and highlight the need for more research on this.
Call for evidence-based psychedelic integration
This article calls for scientific efforts to the development, examination, and evaluation of psychedelic integration models/methods ... and also briefly summarizes the current literature on psychedelic integration, provides a list of exemplary avenues that research on psychedelic integration might take, as well as anticipates and discusses the limitations and challenges of PI-focused research.
Knowledge gaps in psychedelic medicalisation: Clinical studies and regulatory aspects
In this article we outline key knowledge gaps that may be imperative for a successful implementation of psychedelic drugs as medicines as identified by members of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology at the New Frontiers Meeting in Nice (2023)
Interactions between classic psychedelics and serotonergic antidepressants: Effects on the acute psychedelic subjective experience, well-being and depressive symptoms from a prospective survey study
Individuals presumed to be on serotonergic antidepressants during psychedelic use display reduced subjective effects but similar antidepressant effects compared to those not undergoing SRI treatment. Further controlled research is needed to comprehend the interplay between serotonergic antidepressants and psychedelics, illuminating potential therapeutic benefits and limitations in clinical contexts.
Group approach may increase accessibility to psychedelic therapy
In a bid to increase accessibility, a new study by the Australian National University (ANU) School of Medicine and Psychology will look into the viability of the application of psychedelics in a group setting. The study will focus on the psychological, cognitive and physical effects, including adverse events, of taking psilocybin and MDMA in a group setting.
Social acceptability of psilocybin-assisted therapy for existential distress at the end of life: A population-based survey
The social acceptability of psilocybin-assisted therapy for existential distress at the end of life is rather high in Canada. These findings may contribute to efforts to mobilise resources and improve access to this emerging therapy in palliative and end of life care settings.
Ensuring the affordable becomes accessible – Lessons from ketamine’s antidepressant development and a vision for more equitable drug development
Ketamine and its chemical derivative, esketamine, have the ability to alleviate severe depression almost instantly, particularly in cases resistant to other treatments. This represents a significant breakthrough in psychiatry. However, a complex mix of economic, regulatory, and research barriers have resulted in these potentially life-saving treatments remaining out of reach for many patients with severe depression.
Effects of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD on self-experience
MDMA-assisted therapy had significant positive effects on transdiagnostic mental processes of self-experience which are often associated with poor treatment outcome. This provides a possible window into understanding the psychological capacities facilitated by psychedelic agents that may result in significant improvements in PTSD symptomatology.
Assessing expectancy and suggestibility in a trial of escitalopram v. psilocybin for depression
Overall, our results suggest that psychedelic therapy may be less vulnerable to expectancy biases than previously suspected.
European Union funds groundbreaking research into psychedelic therapy
A European consortium of 19 partners has been awarded €6,5 million by the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme to study psilocybin to treat psychological distress in people with progressive incurable illnesses requiring palliative care.
Ayahuasca-induced personal death experiences: prevalence, characteristics, and impact on attitudes toward death, life, and the environment
The study’s findings highlight the prevalence, safety and potency of death experiences that occur during ayahuasca ceremonies, marking them as possible mechanisms for psychedelics’ long-term salutatory effects in non-clinical populations.
Coming back together: A qualitative survey study of coping and support strategies used by people to cope with extended difficulties after the use of psychedelic drugs
These insights hold significant potential for designing therapeutic interventions and educational resources aimed at enhancing coping strategies for those experiencing extended difficulties after psychedelic use.