Background: As public and scientific interest in psychedelics grows, unsupervised use for health purposes is increasing. In the U.S., past-year hallucinogen use nearly doubled from 2015 to 2023. Many individuals report self-treating physical or psychological symptoms without medical supervision using psychedelics-a practice termed self-medication. Despite th...
Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) has been well-researched within scientific literature, although the therapeutic value of psilocybin is not fully understood. The aim of this systematic review is to determine a stable and effective dosage unit to inform health professionals of the benefits of psilocybin, using peer-reviewed literature and meta-analysis. T...
Current evidence mainly shows psilocybin's effectiveness when combined with psychotherapy, but there is also evidence suggesting it can have beneficial effects with less intensive psychological support. Further research is needed to clarify its efficacy as a standalone treatment.
Psilocybin therapy shows potential benefits for mental health conditions such as depression and substance use disorders, though further research is needed to confirm long-term safety and efficacy.
Background: Psilocybin is a promising therapy for cancer-related distress, but existing individual treatment models are resource intensive. In this study, we designed and tested a group model of psilocybin therapy for people with metastatic cancer and cancer-related anxiety and depression. Method: Eligibility criteria included metastatic cancer, moderate-to-...
A key distinction among clinical trials on psilocybin treatments, for example, those targeting depression, has been whether the psilocybin dosing session is combined with bona fide psychotherapy or with what is referred to as “psychological support” (1-3). The most developed model of psychological support is the Compass Psychological Support Model (CPSM; 1)....
People with cancer often experience anxiety and depression following a diagnosis and can face barriers to accessing treatment for their mental health. An increasing number of patients are considering alternative approaches to managing their mental health symptoms, such as the psychedelic, psilocybin. A growing number of clinical trials show significant and e...
Abstract Psilocybin is studied as innovative medication in anxiety, substance abuse and treatment-resistant depression. Animal studies show that psychedelics promote neuronal plasticity by strengthening synaptic responses and protein synthesis. However, the exact molecular and cellular changes induced by psilocybin in the human brain are not known. Here, we ...
Importance: The availability of psychedelic retreats has grown to meet the demand for access to these substances. Despite centuries of use among Indigenous communities, psychedelics can pose serious risks for some users. Objective: To determine safety precautions that retreat organizations that offer psychedelic substances currently use. Design, Setting, and...
Background: Major depressive disorder is a prevalent psychological condition that is characterized by sustained low mood, dysfunction and biological dysregulation. Depression can be treated with cognitive behavioral therapy, and newer studies indicate that psilocybin-based therapy may improve depressive symptoms when used under supervised psychological suppo...
Background: Emotional distress is often comorbid with serious illness, especially in individuals facing social stigmas, such as patients with HIV. Death acceptance may serve as a protective factor against such distress. Standard psychopharmacologic interventions have shown insufficient results in alleviating distress associated with serious illness. Prelimin...
Laws to control drugs have been progressively introduced since the early twentieth century to reduce non-medical use and drug-associated harm. Restrictions on what are now deemed ‘controlled drugs’ and, in New Zealand, ‘prohibited plants’ unjustly impact both medical care and research. The impact on research has frequently been cited in reference to the use ...
Psilocybin-containing mushrooms, commonly known as magic mushrooms, strongly affect mood, cognition, and behavior. Psilocybe azurescens is a species of psilocybin mushrooms that contains the main active compounds psilocybin and psilocin. Psilocybin mushrooms have been used since ancient times to improve the quality of life. However, their adverse effects hav...
Classic psychedelics such as psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and 5-methoxy-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) have shown promising effects in the treatment of certain mental health conditions. Enthusiastic claims about their therapeutic potential have led to overly optimistic reactions in the media and the public, subsequently resulting in increase...
Psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) have remerged as agents of psychiatric and cultural relevance. However, public discourse has outpaced empirical understanding of their effects. Although hallucinogens have demonstrated a potential to treat certain mental disorders, their effect on aggression and violen...
Background: Psilocybin has shown promise in neuropsychiatric disorders but presents a paradoxical relationship with seizures and epilepsy. Methods: A narrative review was conducted up to November 23, 2025. We conducted structured literature searches across PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science. and Google Scholar using MeSH terms and keywords to identify st...
Psychedelic use has greatly increased within clinical and recreational settings over recent years. While demonstrating a favorable safety profile within certain clinical populations, little empirical research has explored safety of psychedelic use within real-world samples. Using the World Health Organization (WHO) VigiBase, a comprehensive global pharmacovi...
Dear Editor, In view of ongoing global research on mental health, especially Major Depressive Disorder, we would like to draw attention to a psychedelic substance, Psilocybin, which has been emerging as a viable treatment option for MDD. Psilocybin is a psychedelic compound derived from certain mushrooms that acts on Serotonergic receptors (primarily 5HT-2A)...
