Psychedelic Medicine
January 20, 2025
Marianna Graziosi, Gabrielle Agin-Liebes, Mary P Cosimano et al.
9 citations
Psilocybin and other serotonergic psychedelics are used in research settings with safety measures including controlled environments, staff presence, screening, and psychoeducation. An analysis of study materials from psilocybin trials over the past two decades found that psychoeducation documents varied but commonly emphasized biological and physical safety, psychological safety and well-being, aspects of setting, and the potential for expectancies. The materials prioritized biological and psychological safety across all sites. The authors also identified elements unrelated to safety that may contribute to participant expectancies and suggest these extrapharmacological factors be studied systematically to maximize safety while minimizing extraneous expectancies.
Journal of palliative medicine
October 1, 2023
Noah D Gold, Austin J Mallard, Jacob C Hermann et al.
5 citations
Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) may help alleviate psychiatric and existential distress in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a terminal neurodegenerative disease with an average survival of 3-4 years. The authors suggest PAP could also intervene on neuropathological dimensions of ALS, based on neuroprotective properties of psychedelics and robust improvements seen in other populations. They call for future preclinical trials in ALS models and rigorous clinical trials, given the lack of effective treatments for both disease progression and psychological distress.
Neuropharmacology
July 1, 2025
Brennan M Carrithers, Daniel E Roberts, Brandon M Weiss et al.
4 citations
Psychedelic therapy may hold potential for treating personality disorders by promoting adaptive changes in personality, though rigorous research is lacking. This review first examines research on psychedelics in individuals with personality disorders using the DSM-5-TR categorical model, then applies the dimensional DSM-AMPD framework to explore how psychedelics might affect self-functioning, interpersonal functioning, and pathological personality traits. The authors discuss clinical relevance, safety considerations, gaps, and recommendations for treating these complex populations.
Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)
June 1, 2023
Noah D Gold, Samantha K Podrebarac, Lindsay A White et al.
3 citations
Over 50 million Americans serve as unpaid caregivers for chronically ill loved ones, a role that can foster personal growth but also leads to caregiver distress—a mix of physiological, psychological, interpersonal, and spiritual impairments affecting 30-70% of caregivers. Existing treatments do not fully address all these components. Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) has shown promise in clinical trials for conditions overlapping with caregiver distress, such as anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and inflammation, while enhancing empathy, connectedness, and reducing existential distress. Although no studies have yet tested PAP for caregiver distress, this narrative review argues it could comprehensively treat all biopsychosocial-spiritual dimensions of the condition, outlining safety, psychedelic selection, and therapeutic structure for future research.
Biological Psychiatry
April 27, 2021
Julia Benville, Gabrielle Agin-Liebes, Daniel E. Roberts et al.
3 citations
No Summary
Research Square
August 22, 2025
Richard J. Zeifman, George Danias, Gabrielle Agin-Liebes et al.
2 citations
Psychedelics can acutely induce mystical experiences and elevated positive mood, which may contribute to the potential benefits of psychedelic therapy. However, there remains limited understanding of the occurrence and importance of specific positive emotional experiences within psychedelic therapy. Therefore, we examined the effects of psychedelics on positive emotional experiences and their association with improvements in mental health. Methods: Study 1 was an observational study of naturalistic psychedelic use. Study 2 used data from a clinical trial that compared psilocybin with escitalopram in individuals with major depressive disorder.
Int Rev Psychiatry
September 11, 2024
Mary E. Yaden, Terence H. W. Ching, Noam Goldway et al.
2 citations
A survey of US psychiatry residency training directors found that most (64%) favor adding more time for psychedelic education, yet many worry about a lack of educational materials (54%) and limited faculty to teach the content (46%). Almost all programs (94%) expressed some interest in a standardized curriculum in psychedelic medicine. Training directors recognize current offerings are limited and want more support to meet the coming demand for education in this emerging field.
American Journal on Addictions
October 1, 2014
James X. Liu, Erin Zerbo, Stephen Ross
1 citation
A patient with bipolar I disorder and a history of substance dependence used large daily doses of ketamine (1–3 g) over 5 years, reporting acute antidepressant effects and reduced alcohol cravings. Despite the unsustainable use leading to inpatient admission, he experienced no withdrawal syndrome or observable cognitive deficits after stopping. This case suggests that ketamine's unique profile warrants further investigation of its risks and therapeutic potential for mood and addiction disorders.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
June 25, 2026
Pavan S Brar, Rebecca B Price, Stephen Ross et al.
Psychedelic compounds like psilocybin and LSD are being studied again as potential treatments, but research usually excludes people at risk for psychosis. This narrative review examines the historical and theoretical links between psychedelics and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs), including the psychotomimetic hypothesis. The authors compare the phenomenological experiences induced by psychedelics with those of SSDs, finding both overlap and important qualitative differences that challenge a simple equivalence. They review neural mechanisms involving serotonin, dopamine, and glutamate. Clinical evidence shows psychedelics can worsen existing psychotic illness and may trigger psychosis in vulnerable individuals, though the risk magnitude is not well quantified. The authors suggest potential therapeutic applications for carefully selected symptoms in stable patients using low-dose, controlled approaches and provide recommendations for managing psychosis-related risk.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
April 28, 2026
Austin J. Mallard, Matthew Broussard, Richard J. Zeifman et al.
People who have used psychedelics, either currently or in the past, report higher levels of compassionate love, self-compassion, and life satisfaction compared to those who have never used psychedelics. Current users also show greater self-compassion and life satisfaction than past users. Lifetime mystical-type experiences are positively linked to these aspects of positive psychological functioning across all groups, not just among psychedelic users. The findings, based on a cross-sectional survey of 984 people, suggest that psychedelic use and mystical experiences may support well-being, but the study is limited by self-reporting, its cross-sectional design, and a homogenous sample.
PsyArXiv
March 26, 2026
Broc A Pagni, Stephen Ross, Sarah Mennenga et al.
preprint
An open-label extension of a Phase II randomized controlled trial examined the safety and efficacy of psilocybin-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder. Participants who had received either psilocybin or placebo in the main trial were offered two open-label psilocybin sessions. The treatment was well tolerated, with no serious adverse events attributed to psilocybin. Heavy drinking days decreased substantially from baseline, and the reduction was sustained through the 32-week follow-up. The findings suggest that psilocybin-assisted therapy may produce durable reductions in alcohol consumption among individuals with alcohol use disorder.
Psychedelics
June 10, 2025
Stephen Ross
A single dose of psilocybin combined with psychotherapy produced rapid, substantial, and enduring reductions in anxiety and depression among advanced cancer patients, according to a landmark 2016 study that attracted 1.7 billion media views. The work, led by Professor Stephen Ross at NYU Langone Center for Psychedelic Medicine, also demonstrated efficacy for alcohol use disorder and major depressive disorder. Ross secured the first National Cancer Institute grant for psychedelic research in over 50 years, helping revive a dormant field. His ongoing research extends into pain management, early-stage cancer interventions, and possible anti-inflammatory properties of psychedelics, aiming to address conditions with substantial unmet needs.
Oxford University Press eBooks
December 1, 2022
Stephen Ross, Anthony P. Bossis
Major academic centers are resuming clinical research into psilocybin and other serotonergic psychedelics combined with psychotherapy to treat psychiatric and existential distress in terminally ill patients. Despite advances in palliative care for medical and pain symptoms, effective treatments for depression, anxiety, and demoralization at the end of life remain scarce. The World Health Organization and the Institute of Medicine have identified addressing spiritual and existential distress as essential for improving emotional well-being and quality of life in advanced illness. This chapter covers the history, anthropology, neuropharmacology, safety, and efficacy data from two waves of psychedelic research, suggesting psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy may offer a paradigm shift for improving existential, psychosocial, and spiritual well-being in palliative care.