Aust N Z J Psychiatry
July 8, 2025
Zachary Bryant, Kirsten Morley, Eva Louie et al.
3 citations
Australian clinicians hold mixed views on psychedelic-assisted therapy. A survey of mental health professionals found that while many acknowledge potential therapeutic benefits for conditions such as depression and PTSD, concerns remain about safety, regulatory frameworks, and lack of training. The majority supported further research but were cautious about immediate clinical implementation, with attitudes varying by professional background and prior knowledge of psychedelics.
International Journal of Mental Health Nursing
February 1, 2025
Eva Louie, Ellen Towers, Alyssa R Morse et al.
2 citations
Three-quarters of 254 mental health consumers surveyed in Australia expressed a desire to access psychedelic-assisted therapies (PATs) following government approval of MDMA for PTSD and psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. Acceptability scores showed strong agreement about PAT effectiveness, moderate social endorsement, and mixed feelings about expected efficacy. While prior recreational psychedelic use was linked to higher acceptability, multivariate analysis revealed that intentions to access PAT were more strongly associated with higher acceptability scores and poorer experiences with conventional therapy. Consumers seeking alternatives to conventional treatment may view PATs as desirable despite safety reservations.
BMJ Open
July 1, 2026
Kirsten Morley, S Arunogiri, Katherine L. Mills et al.
Combining MDMA with an integrated exposure-based therapy may improve outcomes for people with both post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD), a comorbidity where standard treatments help only about half of patients. This double-blind trial will randomly assign 100 participants to receive either MDMA (80–160 mg) or an active control (niacin 250 mg) alongside 12 sessions of Concurrent Treatment of PTSD and Substance Use Disorders Using Prolonged Exposure (COPE). The primary PTSD outcome is the clinician-administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5; the primary drinking outcome is heavy drinking days per week, validated by phosphatidylethanol. Secondary measures include depression, sleep disturbances, adverse events, and cost-effectiveness. Results will provide first data on safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of MDMA-augmented therapy for this comorbidity.
Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
March 27, 2026
Kade L Huckstep, Billi Newton, Grace Bailey et al.
Post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol use often co-occur and worsen each other, but no medications specifically target trauma-driven increases in drinking. In rats predisposed to heavy alcohol use (inbred alcohol-preferring rats), a single dose of MDMA given before fear-extinction training prevented the rise in alcohol consumption that normally follows a stressful experience. MDMA did not improve long-term fear extinction memory in any group. The effect on drinking was specific to the genetically vulnerable rats and was not explained by prior alcohol history. MDMA's main benefit in this model was disrupting the link between trauma and escalated alcohol intake, not enhancing fear extinction.
Addiction (Abingdon, England)
December 1, 2025
Zachary Bryant, Kirsten Morley, Jessica A Kerr et al.
MDMA (Ecstasy) use in early adulthood appears to be associated with higher odds of anxiety disorders by the mid-30s, but not with depressive disorders. Compared with non-users, those who reported past-year MDMA use had 1.73 times the odds of an anxiety disorder; persistent use at two or more waves was linked to 2.05 times the odds, infrequent use to 2.11 times, and frequent use to 2.56 times the odds. These findings come from a longitudinal population-based study in Victoria, Australia, following 1,943 adolescents into their mid-30s.
Alcohol and Alcoholism
March 1, 2019
Simon P. Byrne, P. Haber, A. Baillie et al.
Third wave therapies such as mindfulness and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) show preliminary value for treating alcohol use disorders (AUDs). A systematic review of 17 studies found that both therapies are better than no treatment or treatments with minimal efficacy, and some evidence suggests they are comparable to effective psychosocial treatments for AUDs. ACT and mindfulness may offer an alternative for patients who have not responded to or disengaged from standard treatments, and they may also help with co-occurring mental health conditions. However, more research with randomized controlled designs, larger samples, and longer follow-ups is needed to confirm their utility.