Background Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) has demonstrated great promise for a variety of mental health problems. Many clinicians and researchers who are engaged in providing PAP report personal experiences with psychedelics; these experiences are often positive. Still, there are ongoing questions regarding the relevance of therapists personal experience with psychedelic drugs for the...
Background/Objectives Retrospective survey and clinical chart review studies have demonstrated the real-world effectiveness of ibogaine and 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) in addressing a range of mental health challenges among military Veterans in the United States (US), but no prospective research study has examined safety and effectiveness in this population. Design/Methods We...
Background and Purpose: Ayahuasca can produce a dynamic set of both positive and negative acute effects. Commonly reported challenges include physical symptoms (e.g., nausea, vomiting) and emotional distress (e.g., frightening hallucinations, paranoia). Despite these difficulties, many individuals describe their challenging experiences as contributing to personal healing and beneficial...
An interesting aspect of entity encounters during psychedelic experiences is their ability to transform one's religious beliefs. However, little is known about sex differences in these transformations. This study investigates sex differences in changes in religious beliefs before and after an entity encounter among ayahuasca users. Data were collected via an anonymous Internet-based survey (N =...
This study evaluated prospective associations of ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT treatment for risky alcohol use and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among United States (US) Special Operations Forces Veterans (SOFV). Data were collected during standard clinical operations at pre-treatment and 1-month (1 m), 3-months (3 m), and 6-months (6 m) post-treatment in an ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT...
Background: Research in psychedelic medicine has focused primarily on civilian populations. Further study is needed to understand whether these treatments are effective for Veteran populations.Objectives: Here, we examine the effectiveness of psychedelic-assisted therapy among trauma-exposed Special Operations Forces Veterans (SOFV) seeking treatment for cognitive and mental health problems in...
Abstract Background and aims Because psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is likely to be provided by interdisciplinary professional teams comprised of social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists, understanding the acceptability of this treatment approach among these professional disciplines is essential as the treatment advances through approval processes at the Food and Drug...
Background The current study is one of the first to examine race, ethnic, and sex differences in the prevalence of and trends in hallucinogen use among lifetime users in the United States. Methods Data came from the 2015–2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health and included respondent's reporting ever-using hallucinogens ( n = 41,060; female = 40.4%). Descriptive and multinomial logistic...
There is a need to understand ways in which Asians in North America attempt to heal from racial trauma, given their well-documented high risk of exposure and associated adverse mental health outcomes. We conducted a secondary analysis of Asians from a survey of people of color in North America who have consumed psychedelics in response to racial discrimination. Ninety-two Asian participants...
Abstract Trauma exposure across the lifespan produces risks for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, as well as global disability in functioning. This retrospective clinical chart review is the first of its kind to assess the utility of sublingual ketamine-assisted body-centered psychotherapy in trauma-exposed patients in a real world clinic setting. De-identified clinical...
Background Previous research showed acute psychedelic effects were associated with decreases in racial trauma (RT) symptoms among black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). Among samples comprised primarily of white participants, positive outcomes of psychedelic experiences have been mediated by increases in psychological flexibility. Therefore, we examined whether changes in psychological...
This study examined how psychedelics reduced symptoms of racial trauma among black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) subsequent to an experience of racism. A cross-sectional internet-based survey included questions about experiences with racism, mental health symptoms, and acute and enduring psychedelic effects. Changes in mental health were assessed by retrospective report of symptoms...