Frontier mental health research: psychedelics & drug studies

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.

7 papers

When body and mind are talking. Interoception moderates embodied cognition

Michael Häfner
PubMed Summary & key facts 2013 51 citations

This paper reports two experiments that tested whether people’s awareness of internal body signals (interoception) changes how physical sensations shape thinking. Interoception means sensitivity to signals coming from inside the body. Experiment 1 used a body‑awareness questionnaire and Experiment 2 used a heartbeat perception task. Both experiments found that interoception…

Action Observation and Synchronization Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments

Ayahuasca: A review of historical, pharmacological, and therapeutic aspects

Simon Ruffell, Max Crosland‐Wood, Rob Palmer, Nige Netzband, WaiFung Tsang, Brandon Weiss, et al.

This paper is a clear review of ayahuasca, the Amazon plant brew made from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine plus a DMT-containing plant such as Psychotria viridis. The authors summarize its history, how it acts in the body and brain, what people report feeling during the experience, and the early research…

Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques Natural Compound Pharmacology Studies Psychedelics and Drug Studies Ayahuasca

The potential of 5‐methoxy‐N,N‐dimethyltryptamine in the treatment of alcohol use disorder: A first look at therapeutic mechanisms of action

Stephan Tap
Addiction Biology Summary & key facts 2024 11 citations

This paper is a first look at whether the fast-acting psychedelic 5‑MeO‑DMT might help people with alcohol use disorder. The authors reviewed existing studies in humans and animals and found early signs that 5‑MeO‑DMT can cause intense mystical feelings and a loss of self-boundaries, and that it changes brain rhythms…

Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior Psychedelics and Drug Studies LSD Other

Establishment of safety paradigms and trust in emerging adult relationships

Margo Mullinax, Stephanie A. Sanders, Jenny A. Higgins, Barbara Dennis, Michael Reece, J. Dennis Fortenberry
PubMed Summary & key facts 2016 11 citations

This qualitative study interviewed 25 women aged 18–24 about when they felt comfortable having sex. Most women said trust mattered a lot. Many linked their ideas of trust to past bad relationships or experiences of sexual violence. They said emotional and physical safety became top priorities, and that trust grew…

Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Attachment and Relationship Dynamics LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy

Technological folie à deux: Feedback Loops Between AI Chatbots and Mental Illness

Sebastian Dohnány, Zeb Kurth‐Nelson, Eleanor Spens, Lennart Luettgau, Ann Reid, Iason Gabriel, et al.
ArXiv.org Summary & key facts 2025 6 citations

This paper says that millions of people now use AI chatbots for emotional support. The authors note reports of harms — including suicide, violence, and delusional thinking — linked to people forming emotional relationships with chatbots. They argue that chatbot traits like strong agreeableness and fast adaptation can interact with…

AI in Service Interactions Digital Mental Health Interventions Mental Health via Writing

Mindful eating and food intake: Effects and mechanisms of action.

Lana Seguias, Danielle Ferriday, Elanor C. Hinton, Tina McCaw, Katy Tapper

The authors ran four lab studies on "sensory eating," which means paying close attention to a food's look, smell, texture, and taste while you eat. In each study people ate a small high-calorie snack either with sensory eating or as usual, and 5–15 minutes later they were offered larger snack…

Eating Disorders and Behaviors Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions

Obsessive–Compulsive Disorders

Reinhard T. Krüger

This open-access book describes a psychodrama method made for obsessive–compulsive disorders. It explains how therapists use simple stage setups to make obsessive thoughts and compulsive acts visible and separate from the person. The book also aims to link psychodramatic techniques to specific mental disorders and to explain how those techniques…

Personality Disorders and Psychopathology Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy
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