INTRODUCTION: The treatment of comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) is significantly more challenging than the treatment of either disorder alone. While gold standard evidence-based treatments exist for this comorbidity, clinically significant improvements are only observed in approximately half of clinical trial participants. The use of adjunctive...
Brain and BehaviorJune 1, 2026T Rowe, T Hurzeler, Ellen Towers et al.1 citation
Psychedelics have received considerable attention due to their potential in treating psychiatric disorders. The "setting" during psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is recognized as playing a central role in the experience, during which music features prominently. Although music is theorized as directing and shaping psychedelic sessions, its precise contribution to acute experience and...
Comorbidity between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use is common and mutually-reinforcing, yet there are no pharmacological strategies that specifically target trauma-linked escalation of alcohol intake. We evaluated whether 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), given in a therapy-adjunctive fashion (30 min before fear extinction), could facilitate extinction of...
MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine or "Ecstasy") is the fourth-most used illicit substance globally. While previous research found links between MDMA use and mental health outcomes, the direction and nature of this relationship remain unclear. This study assessed whether MDMA use in early adulthood increases the risk of anxiety or depression in mid-30s. A longitudinal, population-based...
ABSTRACT Australian government approval has been granted for 3,4‐methylenedioxy‐methamphetamine (MDMA) treatment of post‐traumatic stress disorder and psilocybin for treatment‐resistant depression, but the process of translating psychedelic‐assisted therapies (PAT) into more widespread use is complex. Along with establishing the efficacy and feasibility of PATs, their acceptability amongst...
AIMS Third wave therapies have shown efficacy for treating emotional disorders and potential for treating substance use disorders. There is developing interest in whether they can more specifically be used for treating alcohol use disorders (AUDs). We were interested in whether third wave therapies have value alongside current evidence-based psychosocial treatments for AUDs. METHOD We conducted...