Psychedelics may influence personality traits, but longitudinal evidence on first-time use outside clinical settings remains limited. We followed 102 first-time psychedelic users and 1066 never-users over one year among Berlin university students. Personality was assessed with the Big Five Inventory at baseline and follow-up. Linear mixed-effects models showed small relative increases in...
Psilocybin shows promise for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), but long-term data are limited. This study examined the antidepressant effect of one or two psilocybin doses with adjunct psychotherapy in TRD until twelve months. This is a naturalistic follow-up of a phase 2b, randomized, active placebo-controlled trial, where participants were randomized to receive two drug administrations...
Importance: Psilocybin shows promise in treating depression, although limitations of previous research warrant further research. Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of oral psilocybin, 25 mg, with adjunct psychotherapy in treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a 2-center, triple-blinded (investigator, participant, rater), phase 2b, active...
In psychiatry, the term flashback is widely recognized in relation to post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as in the characterization of post‐psychedelic experiences. Although it is now most commonly associated with PTSD, the term was originally introduced in the context of psychedelics. While it broadly denotes specific forms of re‐experiencing in both fields, its precise meaning...
In psychiatry, the term flashback is widely recognized in relation to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as in the characterization of post-psychedelic experiences. Although it is now most commonly associated with PTSD, the term was originally introduced in the context of psychedelics. While it broadly denotes specific forms of re-experiencing in both fields, its precise meaning...
Classic psychedelics such as psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and 5-methoxy-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) have shown promising effects in the treatment of certain mental health conditions. Enthusiastic claims about their therapeutic potential have led to overly optimistic reactions in the media and the public, subsequently resulting in increased use outside of clinical contexts...
BACKGROUND: While clinical research on psychedelics often reports mild and transient side effects, broader survey studies indicate that a subset of users experiences lasting adverse mental health effects. This study investigated whether some of these meet diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHODS: = 243) was conducted with individuals reporting distressing...
The subacute period following the use of classic psychedelics is often marked by an "afterglow" - a state characterized by elevated mood; enhanced psychological well-being; increased emotional openness toward self, others, and nature; and sometimes a heightened sense of clarity and existential meaning. From a neurobiological perspective, subacute psychedelic states have been associated with...
Psychedelic clinical research is expanding rapidly. This review analyses the state and trends in psychedelic clinical trial registrations. A systematic search of ClinicalTrials.Gov was conducted on 11 November 2024, to identify registered interventional trials investigating (therapeutic) effects of serotonergic psychedelics (e.g. lysergic acid diethylamide [LSD], psilocybin, [5-MeO-]DMT)....
Background: Classic psychedelics such as psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide are anecdotally associated with the phenomenon of “psychedelic afterglow,” a set of predominantly pleasant, temporary psychological effects reported after the acute effects have subsided. Since post-acute effects are crucial for the therapeutic use of psychedelics, an instrument to systematically assess subacute...
ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Klassische Psychedelika wie Psilocybin oder Lysergsäurediethylamid (LSD) werden seit einigen Jahren wieder als Mittel für die Behandlung psychiatrischer Störungen untersucht. Nach dem Abklingen der akuten psychedelischen Effekte werden typischerweise postakute Effekte beobachtet, die eine entscheidende Rolle für den Einsatz dieser Substanzen als mögliche Therapeutika spielen und...
Background: Therapeutic and salutogenic effects of psychedelic drugs have been attributed to psychotherapeutic or psychotherapy-like processes that can unfold during the acute psychedelic experience and beyond. Currently, there are no psychometric instruments available to comprehensively assess psychotherapeutic processes (as conceptualized by empirical psychotherapy research) in the context of...
Background: Classic serotonergic psychedelics have anecdotally been reported to show a characteristic pattern of subacute effects that persist after the acute effects of the substance have subsided. These transient effects, sometimes labeled as the ‘psychedelic afterglow’, have been suggested to be associated with enhanced effectiveness of psychotherapeutic interventions in the subacute period....
The COVID-19 pandemic is presumably having an impact on the consumption of psychoactive substances. Social distancing and lockdown measures may particularly affect the use of "party drugs" (e.g., stimulants, dissociatives, and GHB/GBL) through the absence of typical use settings. We aimed to analyse the use patterns of those substances and underlying motivations before and during the pandemic....
Background: Many benefits and some harms associated with psychedelic use could be attributable to these drugs’ acceptance/avoidance-promoting effects and corresponding changes in psychological flexibility. Underlying psychological mechanisms are insufficiently understood. Aim: The purpose of this study was the validation of a psychological model of acceptance/avoidance-promoting psychedelic...
Psychedelics such as psilocybin have recently gained remarkable interest in both the specialist literature and the lay press because studies suggest that these substances may have great therapeutic potential in various psychiatric disorders, including major depression. However, clinical trials with psychedelic drugs pose particular methodological challenges to researchers, some of which differ...
Introduction: The current corona virus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a serious global health crisis that has affected large parts of the public and private life worldwide, including the use of psychoactive substances. In this study, we investigated the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the use of serotonergic psychedelics, i.e., the settings in which people use psychedelics, the...
The efficacy of psychedelic-assisted therapies for mental disorders has been attributed to the lasting change from experiential avoidance to acceptance that these treatments appear to facilitate. This article presents a conceptual model that specifies potential psychological mechanisms underlying such change, and that shows substantial parallels between psychedelic therapy and cognitive...