Jair C Soares - The Consciousness Library

The role of therapeutic alliance in psilocybin treatment for treatment-resistant depression: A post hoc path analysis.

Journal of Affective Disorders August 1, 2026 Guy M. Goodwin, Scott T Aaronson, Oscar Alvarez et al. 2 citations

The contribution of patient support to psilocybin's antidepressant effects remains uncertain. Relationships between therapeutic alliance (Scale to Assess Therapeutic Relationship-Patient version; STAR-P), psychedelic experience (Five-Dimensional Altered States of Consciousness Questionnaire and Emotional Breakthrough Inventory; 5D-ASC and EBI) and clinical outcomes (Montgomery-Åsberg Depression...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2026.121662 Full text Psilocybin Treatment-resistant depression Psychedelic experience Psychological support +1

Acceptability and safety of two sequential doses of psilocybin in bipolar II depression: protocol for an open-label single-arm feasibility study.

BMJ Open July 13, 2026 Thomas D Meyer, Lauren N Vale, Maya Ibrahim et al.

Bipolar II disorder (BD-II) is characterised by hypomanic and depressive episodes with the latter tending to dominate the clinical course of the disorder, and they are often associated with suicidality. Despite available guideline-based recommendations for first-line pharmacological treatments, patient outcomes remain suboptimal, especially for those with chronic depression and suicidal...

DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2026-118471 Full text Adult psychiatry Suicide & self-harm

Advancing cancer neuroscience through stress modulation: Interdisciplinary potential of psilocybin and ketamine

General Hospital Psychiatry February 25, 2026 Alan C. Courtes, Blake Myers, Noah Daly et al. 1 citation

Psychological stress not only undermines quality of life for people with cancer but also fuels tumor growth. Emerging evidence from the nascent field of cancer neuroscience suggests that adrenergic signaling from direct tumor-neuron interactions drives cancer progression, resistance to treatment, and worse outcomes. Cancer neuroscientists are increasingly seeking to repurpose psychoactive...

DOI: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2026.02.011

Challenges with clinical trial participants in studies with classical psychedelics: A position statement from the National Network of Depression Centers' task group on psychedelics and related compounds.

Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) February 5, 2026 Benjamin R. Lewis, Matthew J Reid, Andrew M Novick et al.

Classical psychedelics-a broad class of compounds that include psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide, dimethyltryptamine, and mescaline-have shown significant promise for the treatment of mental health conditions in recent clinical trials. Organizations such as the National Network of Depression Centers (NNDCs) can play a pivotal role in uniting researchers and clinicians working in this field...

DOI: 10.1177/02698811251413490 Full text Depression Psilocybin Mood disorders Psychedelics +1

Contemplating versus having used psychedelics in bipolar disorder - What makes the difference?

Journal of Affective Disorders February 1, 2026 Lauren N Vale, Maya Ibrahim, Leonardo Fávaro-pereira et al. 1 citation

In recent years psychedelics have gained popularity and potential promise in the field of mental health, but for patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder (BD), fears of emerging manic or psychotic symptoms have caused investigators to exclude them from psychedelic research. In this observational study, we explore the motivations, expectations, and personality characteristics of individuals with...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.120437 Full text Attitudes towards psychedelics Bipolar disorder Mental health treatment Mood disorders +1

Psychedelic use and bipolar disorder - An investigation of recreational use and its impact on mental health.

Journal of Affective Disorders March 15, 2025 Thomas D Meyer, Maya Ibrahim, Lauren N Vale et al. 6 citations

Psychedelic substances such as psilocybin have recently gained attention for their potential therapeutic benefits in treating depression and other mental health problems. However, individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) have been excluded from most clinical trials due to concerns about manic switches or psychosis. This study aimed to systematically examine the effects of recreational psychedelic...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.12.044 Full text Psychedelic drugs Behavioral health care Depression research Bipolar disorder +7

The effect of intranasal (R,S)-ketamine on symptoms of fatigue in severe major depressive disorder or bipolar depression with and without comorbid alcohol use disorder: Results from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Journal of Affective Disorders December 15, 2024 Rodrigo Machado‐Vieira, Gregory H Jones, Alan C. Courtes et al.

Fatigue is a multidimensional condition that may overlap with depression. Initial studies found that fatigue responds in only a limited way to standard monoaminergic antidepressants and mood stabilizers but does respond positively to intravenous (IV) racemic (R,S)-ketamine (ketamine). However, IV ketamine's use is limited by cost and access barriers. To date, no study has evaluated intranasal...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.08.183 Full text Alcohol use disorder Bipolar Ketamine therapy Mental health treatments +3

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Trial of the Acute Antisuicidal and Antidepressant Effects of Intranasal (R,S)-Ketamine in Severe Unipolar and Bipolar Depression With and Without Comorbid Alcohol Use Disorder.

The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry April 24, 2024 Gregory H Jones, Courtney M Vecera, Ana C Ruiz et al. 13 citations

Objective: Although individuals with a family history of alcohol use disorder (AUD) have a superior antidepressant response to ketamine, outcomes in patients with current AUD remain unclear. This study sought to investigate whether intranasal (IN) racemic (R,S)-ketamine had antisuicidal and antidepressant effects in unipolar and bipolar depression and whether comorbid AUD conferred superior...

DOI: 10.4088/JCP.23m14974 Full text Depression Ketamine therapy Mental health treatment Substance abuse +1

Pharmacotherapies Targeting GABA-Glutamate Neurotransmission for Treatment-Resistant Depression.

Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) November 7, 2023 Courtney M Vecera, Alan C. Courtes, Gregory Jones et al.

Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is a term used to describe a particular type of major depressive disorder (MDD). There is no consensus about what defines TRD, with various studies describing between 1 and 4 failures of antidepressant therapies, with or without electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). That is why TRD is such a growing concern among clinicians and researchers, and it explains the...

DOI: 10.3390/ph16111572 Full text Treatment-resistant depression Gaba Antidepressants Glutamate +2

Medical Students' Attitudes and Beliefs Toward Psilocybin: Does Terminology and Personal Experience with Psychedelics Matter?

Psychedelic Medicine August 18, 2023 Claudia Lex, Antonio F. Pagán, Jair C Soares et al. 9 citations

Background: Psilocybin and psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) have gained renewed interest due to recent findings that PAT can enhance therapeutic outcomes. In 2019, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved breakthrough therapy status to psilocybin for the treatment of depression, but PAT has yet to be approved as a therapeutic treatment for mental health disorders. Should the FDA...

DOI: 10.1089/psymed.2023.0022 Full text Psilocybin Terminology Transpersonal Hallucinogen

Psychotherapists' openness to engage their patients in Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy for mental health treatment.

Journal of Affective Disorders February 15, 2023 Priel Meir, Leslie Taylor, Jair C Soares et al. 25 citations

Despite psychedelic research initially ceasing in the 1970-80s, the findings documented encouraged researchers to re-examine the safety and efficacy of treating mental health with psychedelics. Of particular focus, psilocybin has shown to have therapeutic potential for a variety of mental health problems and was granted breakthrough therapy status by the FDA. Should psilocybin eventually become...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.12.050 Full text Psychedelic-assisted therapy Barriers to treatment Mental health professionals Psilocybin-assisted therapy +5

Single-dose psilocybin for a treatment-resistant episode of major depression: Impact on patient-reported depression severity, anxiety, function, and quality of life

Journal of Affective Disorders February 3, 2023 Guy M. Goodwin, Scott T Aaronson, Oscar Alvarez et al. 168 citations

Three weeks after dosing, psilocybin 25 mg and, to a lesser degree, 10 mg improved measures of patient-reported depression severity, anxiety, affect, and functioning. These results extend the primary findings from the largest randomised clinical trial of psilocybin for TRD to examine other outcomes that are of importance to patients.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.01.108 Anxiety Psilocybin Antidepressant Patient-reported outcomes +5

Single-Dose Psilocybin for a Treatment-Resistant Episode of Major Depression.

The New England journal of medicine November 3, 2022 Guy M. Goodwin, Scott T Aaronson, Oscar Alvarez et al. 1,095 citations

Psilocybin is being studied for use in treatment-resistant depression. In this phase 2 double-blind trial, we randomly assigned adults with treatment-resistant depression to receive a single dose of a proprietary, synthetic formulation of psilocybin at a dose of 25 mg, 10 mg, or 1 mg (control), along with psychological support. The primary end point was the change from baseline to week 3 in the...

DOI: 10.1056/nejmoa2206443 Full text Treatment-resistant depression Psilocybin therapy Psychedelic medicine Mental health research +1

Magic Mushrooms – an exploratory look at how mental health professionals feel and think about Psilocybin

Psychiatry Research July 16, 2022 Thomas D Meyer, Priel Meir, Claudia Lex et al. 23 citations

Psilocybin recently received breakthrough status by the FDA for its use in treatment of depression. We therefore investigated mental health professionals' (MHPs) opinions on Psilocybin (n = 155). Overall, attitudes were neutral but self-rated knowledge of Psilocybin was low. The term used in the survey, 'Psilocybin' or 'Magic Mushrooms', did not significantly affect their responses. Some...

DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114727 Psilocybin Hallucinogen Mental health Exploratory research +2

PM505. Impaired glucose tolerance, symptoms and cognitive deficits in first-episode drug-naïve patients with schizophrenia

The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology May 27, 2016 Xiangyang Zhang, Dachun Chen, Raymond J. Cho et al.

Psilocybin, a classical tryptamine hallucinogen, serves as a model of acute psychosis in humans.Intoxication with this compound induces significant alterations in perception, thought disturbance and emotional processing, effects that mimic psychotic symptoms.The neurochemical basis of its effects is related to the stimulation of serotonin 5-HT 1A a 5-HT 2A/C receptors.Disconnection is one of...

DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyw041.505 Full text Drug-naïve Schizophrenia object-oriented programming Cognition Clinical psychology

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