The CAnadian Network for Psychedelic-Assisted Cancer Therapy (CAN-PACT) was launched in 2025 to address urgent gaps in supportive care for Canadians with cancer experiencing demoralization syndrome (loss of meaning, dysphoria, disheartenment, helplessness, a sense of failure) and related psychosocial distress. CAN-PACT has six major objectives: (1) to develo...
Interest and use of psychedelic substances is on the rise in the general population. Research has mainly focused on therapeutic applications in formal treatment settings, and little is known about persistent negative effects in naturalistic use. The aim of this paper is to present a clinically relevant overview of the phenomenology and symptoms of enduring m...
Background: Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) may be an effective intervention for a range of mental disorders. However, there appears to be a relative lack of qualitative evidence to complement emerging quantitative findings. To our knowledge, no reviews have systematically mapped the literature on qualitative studies on PAP for the treatment of menta...
Abstract This study explores the first-time use of psychedelic macrodoses among Latin American adults, addressing a gap in the literature regarding naturalistic use outside clinical settings. A total of 4,810 participants from six Latin American countries completed an online survey assessing sociodemographic characteristics, substances used, consumption cont...
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...
OBJECTIVES: To assess the feasibility, safety and preliminary efficacy of psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) for demoralisation in terminally ill patients receiving home hospice care. METHODS: In this open-label pilot trial, 4607 home hospice patients at a large community hospice were screened over 22 months; 66 were approached, 15 enrolled and 10 received ps...
Mental illness is often characterised by a maladaptive sense of self. The neurobiological basis of Self-Other distinction may provide targets for therapeutic interventions. Psychedelics alter the experience of selfhood, but the neurocomputational mechanism is unclear. We used a computationally-informed behavioural assay to investigate whether psychedelics di...
Abstract Background Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is gaining attention as a potential treatment for cancer-related psychosocial symptoms. While growing evidence highlights its promise, little is known about how different stakeholder groups perceive its use in oncology and palliative care. Objectives This study aimed to assess stakeholder-specific perspe...
This phase I trial evaluates the side effects of psilocybin and how well it works under supportive care conditions in cancer survivors living with demoralization and chronic pain. Cancer patients often experience demoralization, which is characterized by feelings of hopelessness, loss of meaning, and existential distress. Psilocybin psychotherapy, together w...
This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates (1) the effectiveness of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) using psilocybin and ketamine for psychosocial symptoms in adults with cancer, (2) contextualizes findings with non-randomized and exploratory studies of other psychedelics, and (3) examines the role of therapeutic frameworks in shaping outcomes. We...
Introduction: Psychedelics, such as psilocybin, are increasingly recognized for their propensity to elicit powerful subjective experiences that carry personal meaning. While research has demonstrated the capacity for these compounds to promote psychological wellbeing, it has yet to be shown to what extent they modulate "meaning in life", a specific contribut...
This study is being done to identify a dosing strategy that will allow IV psilocybin to be administered to sleeping participants without awakening them. The study commenced with 1 subject receiving 2 mg IV infusion of psilocybin over 2 minutes and 2 subjects receiving 2 mg IV infusion of psilocybin over 10 minutes. Subsequently, the pre-treatment of 0.2 mg o...
This thesis explores the psychosocial mechanisms underlying therapeutic responses to psychedelic interventions, advancing an enactive biopsychosocial perspective that foregrounds dynamic and reciprocal causal relationships between biological, psychological, and social processes. While clinical studies increasingly demonstrate the efficacy of serotonergic psy...
We present divergent experiences of 2 patients who participated in a clinical trial of psilocybin-assisted cognitive behavioral therapy for major depressive disorder. Both patients participated in an open trial involving 2 drug administration sessions separated by one month (10 and 25 mg, respectively) along with 12 sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy...
Abstract Background and aims Improved outcomes for substance use disorders have been described following non-clinical (“naturalistic”) psychedelic use. This exploratory study aimed to describe the naturalistic psychedelic experiences of people with substance use concerns and their reported needs and perceived utility of psychosocial support following natural...
Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) involves supported experiences with psychedelic medicines in carefully curated environments. Early evidence suggests possible utility of PAT for addressing psychosocial-spiritual-existential concerns, yet gaps remain in understanding findings related to PAT's role in palliative care. This rapid review aims to synthesize cur...
Anhedonia is a transdiagnostic domain that leads to poor disorder outcome and low remission rates. This narrative review describes a broad range of interventions targeting anhedonia, including pharmacological, neuromodulatory, behavioral, and lifestyle-based approaches. Drugs such as vortioxetine, agomelatine, bupropion, ketamine, and brexpiprazole show prom...
Cannabis is the most commonly used psychoactive substance in Canada (Lowry \& Corsi, 2020). A sub-group of cannabis users develop a condition known as Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD), which is defined as a regular pattern of cannabis use that causes performance difficulty at work, school and relationships (Hasin et al., 2013). A review of current treatments avai...
