Each month our editorial team sifts through hundreds of papers and curates notable findings—for practitioners and informed readers who want to stay current with the evidence. Subscribe to the monthly Research Digest for expert analysis and concise summaries of key papers.
45 papers
Research on treating depression is moving fast. Right now the clearest clinical evidence is for ketamine and its FDA‑approved form esketamine, which can lift symptoms quickly but often only for days or weeks. Classic psychedelics like psilocybin, and related compounds such as DMT and 5‑MeO‑DMT, show strong early promise when given with psychotherapy. However, most psychedelic studies are still small or early‑stage and need larger, well‑controlled trials. Other approaches are being tested too. MDMA‑assisted therapy has strong, growing evidence for post‑traumatic stress disorder and can also reduce some depressive symptoms, but some pooled reports have been retracted and long‑term safety and broad applicability need more study. Brain‑stimulation methods (deep brain stimulation, vagus nerve stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation) and combined treatments (for example ketamine plus TMS) show mixed or preliminary results. Across all these lines of research, the therapy, setting, and careful medical oversight matter. Studies also often lack diversity and long‑term follow‑up, so we cannot assume the results apply to everyone yet.
This meta-analysis combined 241 effect sizes from 114 studies to test how six habitual emotion-regulation strategies relate to symptoms of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and substance-related problems. Rumination showed the strongest (large) link with symptoms. Avoidance, problem solving, and suppression showed medium-to-large links, while reappraisal and acceptance showed smaller (small-to-medium)…
This paper pooled data from six randomized, double‑blind phase‑2 trials of MDMA‑assisted psychotherapy for adults with PTSD (total N=103). After two blinded MDMA sessions, the MDMA group showed larger reductions in clinician‑rated PTSD symptoms than the control group (mean difference −22.0 points on the CAPS‑IV, P < 0.001) and a…
The authors reviewed psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy studies published from 1993 to 2017 to see how many people of color took part. They found 18 studies with about 280 people. About 82% of participants were non-Hispanic White, while only small percentages were African American, Latino, Asian, indigenous, or mixed race. Because so…
Researchers reviewed many outcome studies and meta-analyses of psychodynamic therapy, which is a type of talking therapy that explores feelings, relationships, and past experiences. They found that psychodynamic therapy often works better than doing nothing (for example being on a waitlist, getting only usual care, or a placebo) for depression,…
This paper describes psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, which means giving drugs like ketamine, MDMA, psilocybin, LSD or ibogaine together with guided therapy. The authors say this approach has shown promising safety and benefits so far, even for people who did not get better with usual treatments. They also argue that these therapies…
This review looked at many studies about classic psychedelics (like psilocybin and LSD), MDMA, ketamine, and plant medicines (like ayahuasca). The authors explain how these drugs can change the brain’s wiring, calm inflammatory processes, and shift key brain chemicals. Those actions may help explain why small clinical trials and animal…
This paper reviews the recent comeback of psychedelic research and points out that much of that work borrows from indigenous healing traditions. The authors say Indigenous people, ethnic and racial minorities, women, and other marginalized groups are often left out of research and the mainstream story about psychedelic medicine. The…
Researchers collected and read 15 studies where patients described their own experiences with psychedelic treatments for mental disorders. These studies looked at about 180 patient accounts across different drugs and different illnesses. Even though the drugs and treatment settings were very different, many patients described similar helpful processes, such as…
Researchers around the world have started clinical studies again to see if psychedelic drugs can help treat serious mental health problems. This work picks up after research that stopped around the 1950s. Scientists are running controlled studies to test whether these substances can safely reduce problems like depression, anxiety, addiction…
This paper looks at whether 'mixed anxiety and depressive disorder' should be an official diagnosis. That label describes people who have both anxiety and depression symptoms that are real and limiting, but not strong enough to count as a full disorder on their own. The authors review studies that support…
Researchers followed two groups of people who planned to use a psychedelic. They gave questionnaires before the trip, then about two weeks and four weeks after. On average, people reported less avoidance of painful thoughts and feelings, lower depression scores, and less thinking about suicide after using a psychedelic. The…
This systematic review looked at 33 studies about social anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. The studies suggest social anxiety increased in the general population. Women and people with low incomes appeared more likely to report higher social anxiety. Other links to higher social anxiety included poor coping, weaker social support,…
