Br J Psychiatry
July 8, 2026
Hannah Douglass, Meg J. Spriggs, Kate Godfrey et al.
Background Anorexia nervosa is a debilitating eating disorder with high mortality and chronicity rates owing to the paucity of effective existing treatments. Several clinical trials using psilocybin therapy have demonstrated therapeutic efficacy and safety in psychiatric conditions, including anorexia nervosa. Aims This study aimed to further assess the safety, feasibility and potential...
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health
June 4, 2025
Sarah Forsberg, Amanda E. Downey, Lindsey D Bruett et al.
5 citations
Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is gaining recognition as a promising intervention for treatment-refractory mental health conditions in adults. While interest in its applications for adolescents is growing, critical gaps remain in understanding safe and effective delivery of PAT to this vulnerable population, including implications for caregiver/family (used interchangeably) involvement in...
Journal of Eating Disorders
September 30, 2024
Adele Lafrance, Meg J. Spriggs, Natalie Gukasyan et al.
8 citations
Psychedelic medicine is currently being evaluated for numerous mental health indications, and there is significant interest in applying these models of care to eating disorders (EDs) given the limited efficacy of available treatment models, especially for those living with anorexia nervosa. Preliminary findings across a number of studies suggest promise. In this commentary, researchers with...
Eating Disorders
2024
Meris Williams, Annie Kingston Miller, Adele Lafrance
6 citations
Eating disorders (EDs) are difficult conditions to resolve, necessitating novel treatments. Ayahuasca, a psychedelic plant medicine originating in Indigenous Amazonian communities, is being investigated. Aspects of ceremonial ayahuasca use (purging, dietary restrictions) appear similar to ED behaviors, raising questions about ayahuasca's suitability as an intervention for individuals with EDs....
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
2023
Meris Williams, Annie Kingston Miller, Anja Loizaga-Velder et al.
8 citations
Given the mortality, chronicity, and treatment drop-out rates observed among individuals with eating disorders (EDs), innovative approaches are needed. Ayahuasca, a psychedelic plant medicine from the Amazon, is currently being investigated. This study expands on prior exploratory research by describing the perspectives of ayahuasca ceremony leaders regarding their conceptualizations of EDs and...
Journal of Eating Disorders
May 6, 2022
Reid Robison, Adele Lafrance, Madeline Brendle et al.
Depression and anxiety outcome measures, safety/tolerability, patient satisfaction, and ease of implementation of group-based ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (G-KAP) delivered to patients in intensive residential eating disorder (ED) treatment were assessed. This study reports on five participants with a diagnosis of an ED and comorbid mood and anxiety disorders who received weekly...
Journal of Psychiatric Research
May 1, 2022
Timothy D Brewerton, Julie B. Wang, Adele Lafrance et al.
81 citations
Eating disorders (EDs) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are highly comorbid, yet there are no proven integrative treatment modalities for ED-PTSD. In clinical trials, MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) has shown marked success in the treatment of PTSD and may be promising for ED-PTSD. Ninety individuals with severe PTSD received treatment in a double-blind, placebo-controlled pivotal trial...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
October 20, 2021
Meg J. Spriggs, Hannah Douglass, Rebecca J. Park et al.
78 citations
Background: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious and life-threatening psychiatric condition. With a paucity of approved treatments, there is a desperate need for novel treatment avenues to be explored. Here, we present (1) an overview of the ways through which Public Patient Involvement (PPI) has informed a trial of psilocybin-assisted therapy for AN and (2) a protocol for a pilot study of...
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
October 9, 2021
Adele Lafrance, Erin Strahan, Brian M. Bird et al.
40 citations
A resurgence of research has begun to systematically examine the relationship between psychedelic use and mental health and well-being. Although preliminary findings examining the therapeutic value of these substances show promise, the mechanisms through which psychedelic use may predict reduced mental distress remain poorly understood. To this end, we surveyed a community sample of individuals...
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
September 2, 2021
Cody Callon, Meris Williams, Adele Lafrance
20 citations
Ayahuasca is a psychotropic plant-based tea from the Amazon. Its ceremonial use for therapeutic and spiritual purposes has become increasingly common and stands to escalate based on current policy initiatives in some countries. As ceremonial ayahuasca use spreads there is a need to understand, from various perspectives, how best to improve outcomes and minimize potential harms. Clinicians and...
Medical Hypotheses
2021
Timothy D Brewerton, Adele Lafrance, Michael C Mithoefer
28 citations
Despite advances in the field, eating disorders (EDs) remain very challenging disorders to treat, especially when comorbid with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). N-methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy for treatment refractory PTSD shows great promise, with two-thirds of participants achieving full remission at 1 year or more at follow-up. PTSD is a common...
Eating and weight disorders : EWD
April 1, 2020
Marika Renelli, Jenna Fletcher, Kenneth W. Tupper et al.
76 citations
Ayahuasca is a traditional Amazonian medicine that is currently being researched for its potential in treating a variety of mental disorders. This article reports on exploratory qualitative research relating to participant experiences with ceremonial ayahuasca drinking and conventional treatment for eating disorders (EDs). It also explores the potential for ayahuasca as an adjunctive ED...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
May 29, 2018
Michelle S. Thiessen, Zach Walsh, Brian M. Bird et al.
58 citations
Background: Recent evidence suggests that psychedelic use predicts reduced perpetration of intimate partner violence among men involved in the criminal justice system. However, the extent to which this association generalizes to community samples has not been examined, and potential mechanisms underlying this association have not been directly explored. Aims: The present study examined the...
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 12, 2017
Adele Lafrance, Anja Loizaga-Velder, Jenna Fletcher et al.
126 citations
Eating disorders (EDs) are serious health conditions that are among the most difficult to treat. Innovative treatments are needed and modalities from across cultures must be considered. Ayahuasca is a psychoactive plant-based tea originally used by Amazonian indigenous groups. A growing body of research points to its promise in the healing of various mental health issues. This study explored...
SSRN Electronic Journal
Robin Sandell, Adele Lafrance, Olivia Gosseries et al.
Current spinal cord injury treatments primarily manage symptoms rather than promote neurological recovery. Psilocybin enhances neuroplasticity through 5-HT2A agonism and brain-derived neurotrophic factor upregulation, suggesting therapeutic potential for spinal cord injury rehabilitation. We conducted semi-structured interviews with three individuals who had incomplete spinal cord injuries...