Frontier mental health research: psychedelics & drug studies

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22 papers

Psilocybin for PTSD

Based on 22 papers

Research on using psilocybin for PTSD is still early. Some studies and reviews say psilocybin looks promising for mental health in general, but there are only a few small trials that tested psilocybin in people with trauma-related problems. The strongest, well‑controlled evidence for PTSD so far comes from MDMA-assisted therapy, not psilocybin. Scientists agree that psilocybin is usually given together with careful psychotherapy and medical checks. Trials report short-term benefits in some people and generally acceptable safety when the drug is given in a controlled setting. However, big questions remain about long-term effects, who benefits, and exactly how the drug works, so larger and more diverse studies are needed.

Key findings

  • Most studies of psilocybin for mental health are small and preliminary, so evidence is not strong enough to approve psilocybin as a standard PTSD treatment. 15056 15078 15085
  • For PTSD specifically, the clearest clinical trial success so far has been with MDMA-assisted therapy; psilocybin has far fewer PTSD-focused trials. 15063 15135 15081
  • When psilocybin has been tested (mostly for depression, anxiety, or cancer-related distress), people often had fast improvements after one or a few doses when therapy was included. 15063 15056 15086
  • Psilocybin treatments are usually given together with hours of preparation, a supervised drug session, and follow-up therapy; the therapy and setting strongly shape outcomes. 15096 15065 15063
  • Researchers think psilocybin works on serotonin receptors and can increase brain plasticity (the brain’s ability to change), which might help break rigid fear patterns linked to PTSD, but this is still theoretical. 15091 15050 15135 15081
  • Clinical trials done under medical supervision have generally reported acceptable safety, but risks exist and some other psychedelics (for example ibogaine) can have serious medical dangers. 15135 15056 15085
  • Important uncertainties remain: we do not know how long benefits last, whether the psychedelic experience itself is needed, how best to run blinded trials, or how results apply to people from different racial and cultural backgrounds. 15078 15071 15056 15095
  • Simple biological tests have not yet explained how these drugs work: a pooled analysis found no clear change in blood BDNF after psychedelic or related drugs in humans. 15129

Inclusion of people of color in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: a review of the literature

Timothy I. Michaels, Jennifer Purdon, Alexis Collins, Monnica T. Williams
BMC Psychiatry Summary & key facts 2018 247 citations

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…

Natural Compound Pharmacology Studies Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior Psychedelics and Drug Studies Ayahuasca LSD

Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Paradigm Shift in Psychiatric Research and Development

Eduardo Ekman Schenberg
Frontiers in Pharmacology Summary & key facts 2018 229 citations

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…

Chemical synthesis and alkaloids Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior Psychedelics and Drug Studies Ibogaine Ketamine

Psychedelics in Psychiatry: Neuroplastic, Immunomodulatory, and Neurotransmitter Mechanisms

Antonio Inserra, Danilo De Gregorio, Gabriella Gobbi
Pharmacological Reviews Summary & key facts 2020 215 citations

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…

Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior Psychedelics and Drug Studies Tryptophan and brain disorders Ayahuasca Ketamine

The psychedelic renaissance and the limitations of a White-dominant medical framework: A call for indigenous and ethnic minority inclusion

Jamilah R. George, Timothy I. Michaels, Jae Sevelius, Monnica T. Williams
Journal of Psychedelic Studies Summary & key facts 2019 212 citations

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…

Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques Chemical synthesis and alkaloids Psychedelics and Drug Studies MDMA Psilocybin

Psychedelic Treatments for Psychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Patient Experiences in Qualitative Studies

Joost J. Breeksema, Alistair Niemeijer, Erwin Krediet, Eric Vermetten, Robert A. Schoevers
CNS Drugs Summary & key facts 2020 207 citations

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…

Chemical synthesis and alkaloids Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior Psychedelics and Drug Studies Ayahuasca Ibogaine

Psychedelic medicine: a re-emerging therapeutic paradigm

Kenneth W. Tupper, Evan Wood, Richard Yensen, Matthew W. Johnson

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…

Chemical synthesis and alkaloids Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior Psychedelics and Drug Studies Ketamine LSD

The therapeutic potential of psilocybin: a systematic review

Jan van Amsterdam, Wim van den Brink
Expert Opinion on Drug Safety Summary & key facts 2022 73 citations

This paper looked across existing studies of psilocybin and found that, when it is given along with psychotherapy or therapy-style support, it looks promising as a treatment for several mental health problems, including cases that did not get better with other treatments. But the authors say the current studies are…

Chemical synthesis and alkaloids Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior Psychedelics and Drug Studies Psilocybin

Therapeutic mechanisms of psychedelics and entactogens

Boris D. Heifets, David E. Olson
Neuropsychopharmacology Summary & key facts 2023 59 citations

This paper reviews human and animal research on so-called psychedelics (like psilocybin and LSD) and entactogens (mainly MDMA). The authors say these drugs can produce fast improvements in mental health that sometimes last for months or longer. But we do not yet understand exactly how they work. Human studies point…

Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior Psychedelics and Drug Studies Ketamine LSD

Psychedelics: Alternative and Potential Therapeutic Options for Treating Mood and Anxiety Disorders

Henry Lowe, Ngeh J. Toyang, Blair Steele, Justin Grant, Amza Ali, Lorenzo Gordon, et al.
Molecules Summary & key facts 2022 52 citations

This paper is a review of research about psychedelic drugs and whether they could help with mood and anxiety problems. It explains that these drugs were used for thousands of years in some cultures, then were banned in the 1960s which slowed scientific study. The authors describe a new wave…

Chemical synthesis and alkaloids Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior Psychedelics and Drug Studies Ayahuasca LSD

Psychedelic Commercialization: A Wide-Spanning Overview of the Emerging Psychedelic Industry

Jacob S. Aday, Brian S. Barnett, Dan Grossman, Kevin S. Murnane, Charles D. Nichols, Peter S. Hendricks
Psychedelic Medicine Summary & key facts 2023 49 citations

This article is a broad review of the new psychedelic industry. The authors look at how psychedelic drugs and clinics moved from decades-old research into a fast-growing business with hundreds of companies and big investment. They describe what companies are trying to sell, point out major scientific, legal, and ethical…

Chemical synthesis and alkaloids Diverse academic research themes Psychedelics and Drug Studies Ayahuasca Ibogaine

The Emerging Field of Psychedelic Psychotherapy

Gregory Barber, Scott T. Aaronson
Current Psychiatry Reports Summary & key facts 2022 48 citations

This review looks at recent research where drugs like MDMA and psilocybin are given inside carefully run therapy programs. People get hours of preparation, one or more drug sessions, and several follow-up therapy sessions to help make sense of the experience. Trials so far show big improvements for some people…

Chemical synthesis and alkaloids Diverse academic research themes Psychedelics and Drug Studies Ayahuasca Ibogaine

Psychedelic therapies reconsidered: compounds, clinical indications, and cautious optimism

Jennifer Mitchell, B. Anderson
Neuropsychopharmacology Summary & key facts 2023 44 citations

This review describes a rapid rise in medical research on psychedelic drugs over the past five years. Several later-stage clinical trials have been published, and many different drugs — including psilocybin, MDMA, ketamine, LSD, ayahuasca, and ibogaine — are being tested for conditions such as depression, post‑traumatic stress, addiction, obsessive‑compulsive…

Chemical synthesis and alkaloids Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior Psychedelics and Drug Studies Ayahuasca Ibogaine
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