Interest has grown in the effects of psilocybin on mental health, but little is known about its naturalistic use alongside alcohol and its relationship to depression and/or anxiety symptoms. Data from the nationally-representative 2024 National Survey Investigating Hallucinogenic Trends of participants who did ( n = 1234) or did not ( n = 1607) report past-y...
Psychedelics have garnered great attention in recent years as treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD) and treatment-resistant depression because of their ability to alter consciousness and afflicted cognitive processes with lasting effects. We aimed to characterise how psychedelics are currently being investigated to treat substance use disorders (SUD...
Recreational drugs affect the cardiovascular system through distinct mechanisms; however, data regarding their cardiovascular impact in the emergency department setting is limited. This study aimed to assess the incidence of cardiovascular effects following recreational drug use in presentations to the emergency department, identify the main drug groups invo...
Interest in psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is surging across research and medical communities, prompting the discussion of policy shifts that reflect growing openness to implementing psychedelics in clinical practice. State-level psychedelic reform in the United States has accelerated since 2019, with legalization projected to reach most states within th...
Abstract Introduction Psychedelic use and interest in its therapeutic potential are rapidly increasing; yet its relationship with insomnia remains poorly understood. This study aims to estimate differences in insomnia severity by type of psychedelic consumed among a cohort of 18-to-35-year olds. Methods Data are from the Herbal Heart Study - Sleep Ancillary ...
Depression is one of the most common mental health challenges people face today. It goes beyond just feeling sad - it shapes the way a person thinks, behaves, and experiences the world around them. The persistent low mood, the fading interest in things that once brought joy, the fog that makes even simple decisions feel overwhelming - all of it quietly chips...
BACKGROUND: Psilocybe mushrooms (psilocybin/psilocin [PSI/PSC]) and ayahuasca (N,N-dimethyltryptamine [DMT]) are hallucinogenic serotonergic agonists. Pregnant and lactating women are frequently omitted from clinical studies; hence minimal developmental/reproductive/neurotoxicity (DART/DNT) and endocrine disruption (ED) data in humans are available. Hallucin...
Despite decades of neuroscience research and significant investment in addiction neuroimaging, clinical outcomes for individuals with substance use and behavioural addictions remain poor. Only 1.8% of people with substance use disorders receive effective treatment, highlighting a major disconnect between mechanistic understanding and clinical utility. This p...
BACKGROUND: Recent advancements in psychedelic research have highlighted psilocybin's potential therapeutic benefits for various mental disorders. Understanding its effects on brain function and identifying predictors of individual responses are essential for developing effective treatments. METHODS: This double-blind, randomized, crossover, and placebo-cont...
OBJECTIVE: Anxiety is common in patients receiving end-of-life care and significantly impacts their quality of life. However, pharmacological management remains challenging due to complex clinical presentations and potential side effects, emphasizing the need for systematically reviewing existing treatments. Here we aim to systematically evaluate the efficac...
Psychotic symptoms are uncommon and non-specific adverse effects of classic (serotonergic) psychedelics such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, and mescaline. They can emerge during the acute phase of psychedelic drug effects, persist into the subacute ("afterglow") period, or, in rare cases, develop into long-term psychotic illness. Across all...
As psychedelic use increases, understanding how demographic and behavioral factors influence the effects of psychedelics is essential for both research and public health. This cross-sectional retrospective study examined 365 people who currently use psilocybin, analyzing differences in acute experiences, psychological outcomes, and substance co-use patterns....
Abstract: Background: Psychedelic-assisted therapy is increasingly being explored as potential treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs). While multiple systematic reviews and meta-analyses have examined this topic, the efficacy, methodological quality, and overlap of the existing evidence base remain unclear. Methods: We conducted an umbrella review of ...
BACKGROUND: The use of psychedelics is currently increasing in the United States. Awareness of clinical trials investigating the therapeutic applications of psychedelics may result in a record number of people who use psychedelics for the first-time. This study aimed to develop a harm-reduction resource to facilitate safe and successful psychedelic experienc...
Amid an evolving psychedelic drug policy landscape and limitations of existing substance use disorder (SUD) treatments, a novel addiction recovery paradigm has emerged involving augmentation of 12-Step program engagement with therapeutic psychedelic use. A preliminary qualitative analysis was initiated to describe this movement by examining real-world experi...
The Hamas-led attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023 was one of the deadliest terror attacks in history, resulting in 1,182 fatalities, over 4,000 wounded, and 251 taken hostage1. The Nova festival, an 18-hour rave held in the Gaza Envelope region, suffered the highest casualties in the attack, with over 370 killed. For the Nova attendees, the highligh...
Abstract Background Self-transcendent and mystical experiences may be key mechanisms underlying psychedelics’ therapeutic effects, yet how these experiences differ across substances remains unclear. This study compared mystical and self-transcendent experiences across psilocybin, 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and cannabis in a diverse, community-...
