OBJECTIVE: Despite rapid advances in psychedelic sciences and the increasing number of countries legalizing psychedelics for the treatment of mental illnesses, the attitudes, knowledge and readiness of both mental health consumers and the general population remain largely unknown. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among Australians, targeting i...
Background: Chronic pain is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Fibromyalgia is a particularly debilitating form of widespread chronic pain. Fibromyalgia remains poorly understood, and treatment options are limited or moderately effective at best. Here, we present a protocol for a mechanistic study investigating the effects of psychedelic-assisted-thera...
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The pace of psychedelic treatments continues to increase. Regulation and coherent clinical guidance have not been established. A philosophical divide limits effective resolution of a practice delivery quandary: is this primarily a pharmacological or psychotherapeutic intervention? RECENT FINDINGS: Lykos (formerly MAPS) has submitted its ne...
Entheogens, a class of psychoactive substances with profound cultural and religious significance, have been utilized for centuries across diverse traditions for healing, spiritual exploration, and communication with the divine. Their historical usage spans continents, from the pre-Columbian Americas to traditional African practices and Ayurvedic medicine in ...
BACKGROUND: Psilocybin offers new hope for treating mood disorders due to its rapid and sustained antidepressant effects, as standard medications require weeks or months to exert their effects. However, the mechanisms underlying this action of psilocybin have not been identified. AIMS: To investigate whether psilocybin has rapid and sustained antidepressant-...
Abstract Background The underlying neurobiology of the complex autism phenotype remains obscure, although accumulating evidence implicates the serotonin system and especially the 5HT 2A receptor. However, previous research has largely relied upon association or correlation studies to link differences in serotonin targets to autism. To directly establish that...
Introduction: Patients with incurable illnesses often experience existential distress, profoundly impacting their well-being. Current medical approaches have limitations in addressing these burdens. Psilocybin, a promising psychedelic compound, may offer therapeutic benefits. This pilot survey study aimed to investigate the attitudes and openness toward psil...
BACKGROUND: Reference to an intrinsic healing mechanism or an 'inner healer' is commonplace amongst psychedelic drug-using cultures. The 'inner healer' refers to the belief that psychedelic compounds, plants or concoctions have an intrinsically regenerative action on the mind and brain, analogous to intrinsic healing mechanisms within the physical body, for ...
BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence for the therapeutic effects of the psychedelic drug psilocybin for major depression. However, due to the lack of safety data on combining psilocybin with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) and concerns that there may be a negative interaction on effica...
BACKGROUND: Psychedelic drugs have recently emerged as plausibly effective pharmacological agents for the management of depression, anxiety, and other neuropsychiatric conditions, including those that are treatment-resistent. The latter half of the 20th century marked a revolution in the treatment of mental illnesses, exemplified by the introduction of selec...
BACKGROUND: The primary psychoactive drug in magic mushrooms, psilocybin, induces profound alterations in consciousness through the 5-HT2A receptor. This review consolidates current research findings to elucidate the pharmacology, safety profile, and clinical applications of psilocybin. AREAS OF UNCERTAINTY: Despite initial concerns that psilocybin could cau...
Introduction: Amid a lack of effective chronic pain treatments, psychedelics have gained attention as a potential solution, although their Schedule 1 classification poses challenges. Psychedelics, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin, have gained popularity as alternatives and adjuncts for chronic pain treatment. Studies suggest that they ...
OBJECTIVE: To capture UK medical students' self-reported knowledge and harm assessment of psychedelics and to explore the factors associated with support for changing the legal status of psychedelics to facilitate further clinical research. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, anonymous online survey of UK medical students using a non-random sampling method. SETTING: UK...
BACKGROUND: To investigate the association between pre-trial expectancy, suggestibility, and response to treatment in a trial of escitalopram and investigational drug, COMP360, psilocybin, in the treatment of major depressive disorder (ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT03429075). METHODS: = 55) from our recent double-blind, parallel-group, randomized head-...
To investigate the relationship between psychedelic microdosing and its effects on mental health, aiming to understand if microdosing can improve mental well-being. PubMed and Scopus were searched on December 25, 2022, using search terms related to psychedelics, microdosing, and mental health. The inclusion criteria focused on studies published between Janua...
Background: To date, few randomized controlled trials of psilocybin with non-directive support exist for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Results and participant feedback from an interim analysis of an ongoing single-dose trial (NCT03356483) converged on the possibility of administering a higher fixed dose and/or more doses of psilocybin in future trials...
