Psilocybin, MDMA, and LSD have recently emerged as popular psychedelic substances for use in psychopharmacology in managing various disorders including treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, and anxiety. These substances mainly affect the serotonergic receptors that involve the regulation of consciousness, perceptions, and cognition. These unique alterations ...
Abstract The discussion surrounding the necessity of acquiring personal experience of non-ordinary states of consciousness in the course of psilocybin-assisted therapy training is crucial, as it can affect treatment safety, effectiveness and accessibility. As such, the ethical and practical issues associated with such a training standard require timely consi...
Since physician-assisted dying (PAD) has become a part of the clinical dialogue in the United States (US) and other Western countries, it has spawned controversy in the moral, ethical, and legal realm, with significant cross-country variation. The phenomenon of PAD includes 2 practices: Euthanasia and medical aid in dying (MAiD). Although euthanasia has been...
The revival of psilocybin in psychopharmacological research heralds a potential paradigm shift for treating mood and anxiety disorders, and other psychiatric conditions beyond the psychotic spectrum. This critical review evaluates current evidence on psilocybin's efficacy, juxtaposing potential benefits with the practical aspects of psychedelic-assisted psyc...
Despite the legalization of psilocybin therapy for depression in terminal illnesses such as advanced cancer through Oregon's Measure 109 in 2020, significant challenges have impeded its implementation. This review synthesizes the empirical data supporting the utilization of psilocybin therapy for addressing cancer-related depression, including an evaluation ...
Introduction to the Special Section on Psychedelics Research and Treatment Dominic Sisti Against a backdrop of post-pandemic malaise, diseases of despair, and a fragmented mental health care system, psychedelics have enjoyed a resurgence of interest as powerful psychotherapeutic agents and as catalysts of personal growth. The true power of these substances-s...
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a surge in depression cases, a pervasive and debilitating mental illness1. This trend is evident in the increased prescriptions for antidepressants. Depression is a chronic condition that affects a significant proportion of the global population, with ~280 million people, or about 3.8%, suffering from it. As a result, it...
Psychedelic treatments, particularly 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted and psilocybin-assisted therapies, have recently seen renewed interest in their clinical potential to treat various mental health conditions. Clinical trials for both MDMA-assisted and psilocybin-assisted therapies have shown to be highly efficacious for post-traumatic str...
Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Annual MeetingFull AccessExperts to Discuss the Ethics of PsychedelicsTerri D'ArrigoTerri D'ArrigoPublished Online:27 Mar 2023https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2023.04.3.10AbstractA session at APA's Annual Meeting will cover the current state of psychedelics research and offer points to consider in the ev...
Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Clinical & ResearchFull AccessPsychedelic Renaissance: Clinical Health Justice, Patient Safety, and Equity Need to Be Put FirstJacques Ambrose, M.D., M.P.H., Jeffrey Zabinski, M.D., M.S.W.Jacques AmbroseSearch for more papers by this author, M.D., M.P.H., Jeffrey ZabinskiSearch for more papers by this a...
Recent clinical trials of psychedelic drugs aim to treat a range of psychiatric conditions in adults. MDMA and psilocybin administered with psychotherapy have received FDA designation as "breakthrough therapies" for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and treatment-resistant depression (TRD) respectively. Given the potential benefit for minors burdened wit...
Psilocybin has been suggested as a promising transdiagnostic treatment strategy for a wide range of psychiatric disorders. Recent findings showed that psychedelic-assisted/"psycholitic" psychotherapy should provide significant and sustained alleviation of depressive symptoms. However, to date, there have been several study limitations (e.g., small sample siz...
Mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety are major contributors to the overall global health burden. COVID-19 has further aggravated mental health disorders and also increased substance abuse due to lockdowns1. The Global Burden of Disease reported that the pandemic has led to a 27.6% increase in cases of major depressive disorder (MDD) and a 2...
A striking feature of psychedelics is their ability to increase attribution of truth and meaningfulness to specific contents and ideas experienced, which may persist long after psychedelic effects have subsided. We propose that processes underlying conferral of meaning and truth in psychedelic experiences may act as a double-edged sword: while these may driv...
Hallucinogens include many different drugs, which are often called “psychedelic” drugs. The US National Institute on Drug Abuse categorizes these drugs into 2 categories: classic hallucinogens and dissociative drugs. Both types of psychedelics can lead to hallucinations - sensations and images that seem real although they are imaginary. In addition, an indiv...
Back to table of contents Previous article Next article APA & MeetingsFull AccessSession on Psychedelics Sure to Be EnlighteningNick ZagorskiNick ZagorskiSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:2 Mar 2021https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2021.3.14AbstractLeaders in psychedelic research will discuss the therapeutic potential of psychedelic compoun...
Despite a politically vilified past, classical psychedelics, including lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, and dimethyltryptamine (DMT), are experiencing a revival in scientific and clinical research. When used under the appropriate guidance and setting, these substances show promise for substantially improving well-being and reducing mental ill-he...
Research with psychedelic drugs has mainly focused on isolated compounds. However, this approach is challenged by the "polypharmacology" paradigm. In this Viewpoint, we suggest that we may be missing something if we do not use the whole product in the case of ayahuasca or mushrooms. After describing how research on psychedelic drugs can be effectively combin...
Despite the fact that psychedelics were proscribed from medical research half a century ago, recent, early-phase trials on psychedelics have suggested that they bring novel benefits to patients in the treatment of several mental and substance use disorders. When beneficial, the psychedelic experience is characterized by features unlike those of other psychia...
Microdosing classic psychedelics (e.g., LSD [lysergic acid diethylamide] and psilocybin) is the practice of taking small amounts of these substances to bring about various positive life changes. Little is known about the subjective experiences and perceptions of those who engage in the practice. Accordingly, we use the sociology of accounts as a theoretical ...
