Front Pain Res (Lausanne)
April 19, 2024
Maya Armstrong, Joel Castellanos, Devon Christie
15 citations
Chronic pain can be understood as an emergent property of a complex biopsychosocial system, where physiology, neuroscience, psychology, learning, and epigenetics interact with changing socioenvironmental conditions. This complexity may explain why current treatments often fail. Therapies that are both disruptive and adaptive at higher system levels, such as psychedelic-assisted therapies and mindfulness-based approaches, may offer benefits. Both have transdiagnostic value by disrupting rigid cognitive, emotional, and behavioral patterns and promoting neuroplasticity. Psychedelic therapies may hold unique promise for managing chronic pain.
Frontiers in Pharmacology
June 27, 2022
Snehal Bhatt, Maya Armstrong, Tassy Parker et al.
4 citations
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders (SUDs) frequently co-occur, a link shaped by adverse childhood experiences, historical and multi-generational traumas, and social, cultural, and spiritual factors. Current treatments for PTSD are only modestly effective, and more research is needed on interventions for co-occurring PTSD and SUD, including whether to treat them together or sequentially. Interest in psychedelics as a treatment augmentation is reviving, though risks remain. This review covers the history of psychedelic research and practices, examining historical trauma, adverse childhood experiences, PTSD, and SUDs through the lens of New Mexico, a state with large Indigenous and Hispanic populations and high rates of trauma and substance use. Future directions include community-based participatory approaches respectful of Indigenous and minority communities.
Frontiers in Public Health
June 17, 2026
Lawrence Leeman, Maya Armstrong, Dara Menashi et al.
A community-informed, open-label feasibility study will test group psilocybin-assisted therapy for PTSD using whole psilocybin mushrooms. The protocol includes six groups of six participants—veterans, first responders, and women survivors of sexual violence—who will receive two doses (20 mg and 30 mg) of psilocybin in chocolate, combined with group and individual therapy. Outcomes will measure safety, feasibility, and PTSD symptoms using standard scales. A parallel micro-costing analysis will capture delivery costs for community engagement, therapy, and extended integration. The study aims to ensure access and trust for populations facing structural barriers.