Psychopharmacology
October 11, 2025
Michelle St Pierre, Elena Argento, Jordyn Cates et al.
Repeated self-administration of small doses of psychedelics, known as microdosing, has been associated with perceived improvements in psychological functioning. However, few studies have examined effects at the daily level. Drawing on data from a naturalistic, prospective, international survey of adults who microdose (N = 1435), we assessed self-reported within-person changes between...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
September 22, 2025
Shannon Dames, Pamela Kryskow, Vivian W. L. Tsang et al.
3 citations
RTT-KaT offers a structured, scalable, evidence-informed, and culturally responsive model that bridges clinical safety with both Western and Indigenous knowledge systems. A longitudinal follow-up study is currently underway to evaluate long-term impact and guide future implementations.
J Psychopharmacol
April 23, 2024
Evan Cole Lewis, Alexandria Jaeger, Manesh Girn et al.
6 citations
Exploring psychedelic-assisted therapy in the treatment of functional seizures: A review of underlying mechanisms and associated brain networks.
PLoS One
2024
Elena Argento, Tashia Petker, Jayesh Vig et al.
3 citations
This study explores therapists' perspectives on experiential learning, competencies, and training in ketamine-assisted therapy (KAT), a form of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT). We aim to understand how therapists' personal psychedelic experiences influence their self-perceived competency and therapeutic relationships regarding KAT. Licensed therapists from Numinus Wellness clinics in Canada...
Frontiers in Neuroscience
June 12, 2023
Elena Argento, Egiroh Omene, Alexandra Jaeger et al.
10 citations
Functional seizures, a primary subtype of functional neurological disorder (FND), are a known cause of serious neurological disability with an increasing awareness of their impact amongst the neuroscience community. Situated at the intersection of neurology and psychiatry, FND is characterized by a range of alterations in motor, sensory or cognitive performance, such as abnormal movements, limb...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
November 3, 2022
Devon Christie, Berra Yazar-Klosinski, Ekaterina Nosova et al.
8 citations
IntroductionIncreasing evidence demonstrates 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) may be a safe and effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There is growing interest in MDMA-AT to address a range of other health challenges. Chronic pain and PTSD are frequently comorbid, reciprocally interdependent conditions, though the possible role of...
Substance Abuse Treatment Prevention and Policy
May 14, 2022
Victor Mocanu, Lindsay Mackay, Devon Christie et al.
27 citations
International drug policy is rapidly evolving in tandem with promising evidence for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) in treating a range of mental health conditions. Canada is among the countries increasingly expanding access to psychedelic substances for therapeutic purposes. The 8-year ban on medical exemptions through the Canadian Special Access Programme was recently reversed in...
Drug Alcohol Depend Rep
March 16, 2022
Elena Argento, Shira Goldenberg, Kathleen Deering et al.
6 citations
Interest in receiving psychedelic-assisted therapy among marginalized women: Implications and findings from a community-based study in Canada.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
March 11, 2022
Mark Kang, Lindsay Mackay, Devon Christie et al.
1 citation
Abstract Despite growing availability of several evidence-based approaches in the treatment of substance use disorders, existing pharmacotherapy and psychosocial interventions continue to have significant limitations, such as low treatment retention rates and high rates of relapse. There is a need to develop new strategies and models to address these limitations and target underlying...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
September 6, 2021
Elena Argento, Devon Christie, Lindsay Mackay et al.
12 citations
The COVID-19 pandemic stands to have impacts on mental health and well-being that will extend beyond its formal resolution. Before COVID-19, mental health disorders were already challenging global healthcare systems, directly accounting for 7.4% of the total burden of disease (1, 2). An estimated 1 billion people worldwide suffer from a mental health disorder, with the two most common...
Drug and Alcohol Review
September 5, 2019
Elena Argento, Rielle Capler, Gerald Thomas et al.
98 citations
Abstract Introduction and Aims A previous observational study of ayahuasca‐assisted therapy demonstrated statistically significant reductions in self‐reported problematic cocaine use among members of an Indigenous community in Canada. This paper aims to qualitatively explore the impact of ayahuasca‐assisted therapy on addiction and other substance use‐related outcomes and elucidate the lived...
International Journal of Drug Policy
February 10, 2019
Elena Argento, Kenneth W. Tupper, M. Eugenia Socias
17 citations
The increasing contamination of the drug supply with illicitly manufactured fentanyl and related analogs in North America has resulted in the most severe drug-overdose crisis in history. Available pharmacotherapy options for the treatment of opioid use disorder have had limited success in curbing the current crisis, and a growing body of evidence highlights the need for innovative interventions...
cIRcle
2019
Elena Argento
Background: Women who are marginalized due to social and/or economic disadvantage, including street-involved women, sex workers, and women who use drugs, experience numerous health and social inequities that disproportionately elevate risk of violence and suicidality. However, research and intervention programs to prevent violence and address systemic drivers of suicidality have been largely...
BMJ Open
September 1, 2017
Elena Argento, Steffanie A. Strathdee, Kenneth W. Tupper et al.
60 citations
Objective This study aimed to longitudinally investigate whether ever having used a psychedelic drug can have a protective effect on incidence of suicidality among marginalised women. Design Longitudinal community-based cohort study. Setting Data were drawn from a prospective, community-based cohort of marginalised women in Metro Vancouver, Canada. Participants 766 women completed the baseline...