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.

12 papers

Acute Marijuana Effects on Human Risk Taking

Scott D. Lane, Don R. Cherek, Oleg V Tcheremissine, Lori M. Lieving, Cythia J Pietras
Neuropsychopharmacology Summary & key facts 2005 172 citations

Researchers gave 10 adults placebo cigarettes and three active marijuana cigarettes (including a 3.58% Delta9-THC dose) in a repeated-measures lab test. Using a task that forced a choice between a risky and a nonrisky option, the highest THC dose made people choose the risky option more often. The same high…

Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes

Post-Psychedelic Reductions in Experiential Avoidance Are Associated With Decreases in Depression Severity and Suicidal Ideation

Richard J. Zeifman, Anne Catherine Wagner, Ros Watts, Hannes Kettner, Lea J. Mertens, Robin Carhart‐Harris
Frontiers in Psychiatry Summary & key facts 2020 101 citations

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…

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

The Unholy Trinity: Childhood Trauma, Adulthood Anxiety, and Long-Term Pain

Natália Kaščáková, Jana Fürstová, Jozef Hašto, Andrea Madarasová Gecková, Peter Tavel

This questionnaire study (2016–2017) compared a representative Czech sample (n = 1800, mean age 46.6, 48.7% male) and a clinical sample of patients with anxiety or adjustment disorder (n = 67, mean age 40.5, 18.0% male). People who reported childhood emotional abuse, emotional neglect, or physical neglect had higher odds…

Child Abuse and Trauma Child and Adolescent Health Migration, Health and Trauma

Violence is Rare in Autism: When It Does Occur, Is It Sometimes Extreme?

Clare S. Allely, Philip Wilson, Helen Minnis, Lucy Thompson, Enzo Yaksic, C Gillberg
The Journal of Psychology Summary & key facts 2016 47 citations

The authors reviewed 73 mass shooting events (75 shooters) from the Mother Jones database to look for signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). They found tentative evidence of ASD in 6 of 75 shooters (8%), plus 16 other cases with some indication; the 8% figure is called a conservative estimate…

Autism Spectrum Disorder Research Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

Gender Differences in the Relationship between Anger and Aggressive Behavior

Martha K. Fahlgren, Joey C. Cheung, Nicole K. Ciesinski, Michael S. McCloskey, Emil F. Coccaro

This study tested whether anger and aggressive actions are linked differently for men and women. Four hundred twenty-four adults did a behavioral aggression task, and 304 of them also answered questions about their typical anger. Men and women showed similar amounts of aggression overall. However, higher trait anger predicted more…

Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development Intimate Partner and Family Violence

Addictive Screen Use Trajectories and Suicidal Behaviors, Suicidal Ideation, and Mental Health in US Youths

Yunyu Xiao, Meng Yuan, Timothy A. Brown, Katherine M. Keyes, J. John Mann
JAMA Summary & key facts 2025 35 citations

This study followed 4,285 U.S. children from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study to look at patterns of addictive use of social media, mobile phones, and video games from about ages 11 to 15. The researchers found that high or steadily increasing patterns of addictive use were common. Those high…

Child Development and Digital Technology Impact of Technology on Adolescents Media Influence and Health

The role of protective self‐cognitions in the relationship between childhood trauma and later resource loss

Kristen H. Walter, Katie J. Horsey, Patrick A. Palmieri, Stevan E. Hobfoll
Journal of Traumatic Stress Summary & key facts 2010 27 citations

Researchers followed 402 inner-city women who had experienced childhood abuse. They looked at PTSD symptoms, two protective self-views (self-esteem and self-efficacy), and later resource loss. The study found that childhood abuse was linked to more PTSD symptoms and more resource loss later on. Higher PTSD symptoms were tied to lower…

Child Abuse and Trauma Migration, Health and Trauma Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research

Risk of suicide and all-cause death in patients with mental disorders: a nationwide cohort study

Hyewon Kim, Jin‐Hyung Jung, Kyungdo Han, Hong Jin Jeon
Molecular Psychiatry Summary & key facts 2025 9 citations

This large South Korean study followed 3,951,398 adults for an average of 11.1 years to compare deaths in people with and without recorded mental disorders. After adjusting for age, sex, health conditions, income, smoking, drinking and physical activity, people with mental disorders had higher rates of suicide and higher overall…

Bipolar Disorder and Treatment Mental Health Treatment and Access Suicide and Self-Harm Studies

Psychedelic and nutraceutical interventions as therapeutic strategies for military-related mild traumatic brain injuries

Amy C. Reichelt, Eric Vermetten, Benjamin T. Dunkley

This review looks at studies on using classic psychedelics and nutraceuticals to treat concussion and lasting symptoms after mild traumatic brain injury. Concussion is common in the military, civilians, and contact sport players and usually causes temporary mental impairment, though a small minority have lasting problems. The authors report that…

Chemical synthesis and alkaloids Natural Compound Pharmacology Studies Psychedelics and Drug Studies

The Mediating Role of Emotional Dysregulation in the Relationship Between Anxious Attachment and Suicidal Behavior in Children Admitted to an Emergency Department

Oryan Cohen-Bausi, Oren Shahnovsky, Liat Haruvi-Catalan, Noa Benaroya-Milshtein, Silvana Fennig, Shira Barzilay

This study looked at 111 children aged 7–12 who came to a pediatric emergency department with suicidal thoughts or behaviors. It found that emotional dysregulation (trouble managing strong feelings) helped explain the link between an anxious attachment style toward parents and actual suicidal behaviors. The study did not find the…

Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum Suicide and Self-Harm Studies

Self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) as psychotherapeutic couriers

William Charles Hosie, Artem Pyrozhok, Massimo Filgiomeni, Grace Dicarlo, Mary Augustina Egbuta, Kasra Razmkhah, et al.
Summary & key facts 2026 0 citations

This paper looks at a technology called self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems, or SNEDDS. SNEDDS are oil-based mixes that turn into very tiny droplets when they meet the fluids in the gut. The paper explains how these tiny droplets can help drugs that do not dissolve well in water get into…

Advanced Drug Delivery Systems Drug Solubulity and Delivery Systems Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery

Sensitivity to betrayal and new intimate relationship building in survivors of intimate partner violence

Alice Melin, Paul M Salkovskis
PubMed Central (PMC) Summary & key facts 2025 0 citations

The researchers compared betrayal sensitivity (and, secondarily, shame and self-criticism) in four groups of women: 34 IPV survivors who were single, 25 IPV survivors who were dissatisfied with a relationship, 32 IPV survivors who were satisfied with a relationship, and 42 women with no IPV history. They found that all…

Attachment and Relationship Dynamics Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health Intimate Partner and Family Violence
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