Since the introduction of disulfiram in 1951 (the first ever Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medication for substance use disorders (SUDs)) (1), only seven other individual medications have been approved for the treatment of SUDs. While the repurpose of medications and different formulations increase the total number of FDA-approved medicines (Table 1 and(2)), the arsenal of...
Background Methamphetamine use disorder (MAUD) is associated with substantial psychiatric and physical morbidity, and current treatment options remain limited. Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) has shown promise in substance use disorders, but little is known about how individuals experience and interpret this intervention, particularly in MAUD. Qualitative investigation may provide insight...
Methamphetamine (MA) use disorder is associated with widespread disruption of large-scale brain networks involved in cognitive control, attention, and salience processing. Resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) provides a means to characterize these alterations; however, little is known about the capacity for functional network reorganization following targeted intervention. The purpose of this...
Harms associated with gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) use have increased recently in Australia. However, research predominantly focuses on the experience of GHB use among LGBTQ + populations. Non-prescribed GHB use has not been well described in heterosexual populations. Research to examine the experience of heterosexual people, including motivations for use, experiences of harms, and utilisation...
Abstract Background and aims There is an urgent unmet need for novel treatments for methamphetamine (MA) use disorder. We explored the qualitative experiences of people participating in a study of psilocybin‐assisted psychotherapy (PAT) to treat MA use disorder. Design and setting Qualitative study of participants enrolled in a single arm, open‐label pilot study of PAT for MA use disorder...
Abstract Background & Aims There are few effective treatments for methamphetamine use disorder, despite increasing global demand. Here, we assessed the safety and feasibility of outpatient psilocybin‐assisted psychotherapy for methamphetamine use disorder. Design Single arm, open label pilot study. Setting Outpatient public stimulant treatment program at St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney,...
Methamphetamine use disorder, associated with significant morbidity and mortality, has limited effective treatments. Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy shows promise, but data on its safety and efficacy in this population are limited. This exploratory study describes the demographic, substance use, and mental health characteristics of people who used methamphetamine and psychedelics and the...
Improved outcomes for substance use disorders have been described following non-clinical (“naturalistic”) psychedelic use. This exploratory study aimed to describe the naturalistic psychedelic experiences of people with substance use concerns and their reported needs and perceived utility of psychosocial support following naturalistic psychedelic use to integrate experiences and achieve...
Methamphetamine use disorder is a significant public health concern. No pharmacological treatment options currently exist for methamphetamine use disorder, and psychotherapy is only moderately effective. Preliminary evidence suggests that ketamine-assisted psychotherapy produces sustained improvements in substance use and mental health symptomatology. In addition to direct antidepressant...
Methamphetamine (MA) dependence leads to severe physical and psychological issues. Current treatments, including psychosocial therapies and residential rehabilitation, face limitations such as high relapse rates, cost, and accessibility issues. As a result, there is an urgent need for novel approaches to treat MA dependence that are effective, affordable, and accessible to patients. Psilocybin,...
Ketamine is a restricted and regulated medication in Australia and New Zealand, which has implications when considering treatment for patients with treatment-resistant depression and a history of illicit drug use, abuse or dependence. Regulations governing prescription of ketamine for treatment-resistant depression vary between jurisdictions in Australia and New Zealand, though most restrict...
The global use of certain classical psychedelics has increased in recent years, but little is known about their spectrum of toxicity within Australia. We aim to describe calls to New South Wales Poisons Information Centre relating to exposures to classical psychedelics including lysergic acid diethylamide, psilocybin, N,N-dimethyltryptamine, ayahuasca, mescaline and ibogaine. This is a...
This systematic review and a meta-analysis synthesised the results from contemporary, randomized and non-randomized controlled studies to assess lasting (one week minimum) changes on cognition/creativity, emotional processing and personality from serotonergic psychedelics. PubMed, Embase and PsycInfo were searched in July 2022. Risk of bias was assessed using Rob 2.0 and ROBINS-I. Ten studies...
Methamphetamine use disorder is a chronic relapsing condition associated with substantial mental, physical, and social harms and increasing rates of mortality. Contingency management and psychotherapy interventions are the mainstays of treatment but are modestly effective with high relapse rates, while pharmacological treatments have shown little to no efficacy. Psilocybin-assisted...