Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry
February 18, 2026
Dimitri Henriques Daldegan-Bueno, C Donegan, Rachael Sumner et al.
1 citation
Results suggest short-term improvements in mood following microdosed LSD in people with depression, warranting confirmation in controlled trials. It provides the pharmacokinetic parameters of 8 μg of LSD in a sample of people with depression and indicates no tolerance or sensitisation to repeated microdoses of LSD, despite incremental dose titration.
Palliative & Supportive Care
2026
Fiona Cottam, Alesha Wells, Cerys Clayden et al.
Participation in trials investigating psychedelic-assisted MCP may offer hope for patients and their caregivers. Given the bidirectional relationship in wellbeing between cancer dyads, caregivers should be included alongside patients in such trials.
Ther Adv Psychopharmacol
December 4, 2025
Carina Joy Donegan, Dimitri Daldegan-Bueno, Rachael Sumner et al.
What is it like to microdose LSD for depression? a thematic analysis of participant interviews from an open-label trial.
Neuropharmacology
December 1, 2025
Carina Joy Donegan, Dimitri Daldegan-Bueno, Tehseen Noorani et al.
4 citations
Expectations can impact antidepressant treatment and psychedelic therapy, often enhancing placebo effects and influencing outcomes. However, research in this context is lacking. Our study explored the expectations of participants with major depressive disorder (MDD) before microdosing lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in an open-label trial. Twenty-three individuals with MDD completed a...
Journal of Humanistic Psychology
November 10, 2025
Robin J Murphy, Mia Wardlaw, Thomas A. Smith et al.
Microdosing psychedelics is an increasingly popular phenomenon where small amounts of psychedelic drugs are taken regularly. Qualitative data have been published regarding the experiences of microdosers, but never in the context of a randomised controlled trial. Semi-structured video interviews with 40 healthy males were conducted following a double-blind placebo-controlled trial of 10 µg of...
Neuropharmacology
November 5, 2025
Dimitri Daldegan-Bueno, C Donegan, Rachael Sumner et al.
4 citations
Major depressive disorder (MDD) affects approximately 5 % of the global population. Classic psychedelics have shown promise in treating various mental health disorders. This study evaluated the feasibility and tolerability of an 8-week regimen of microdosed lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) as a treatment for major depressive disorder in an open-label phase 2A trial (LSDDEP1). Nineteen...
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
July 2, 2025
Grace Stockwell, Nicholas Hoeh, Francesca Fogarty et al.
2 citations
Ketamine-assisted therapy (KAT) is a novel modality that shows promise as a treatment for depression. The current study sought to add to the scarce research in the area and inform future applications of KAT for patients with treatment-resistant depression. The study used in-depth qualitative interviews (N = 12) to explore participants' perceptions of KAT, including working with therapists, the...
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
June 12, 2025
Musheerah Nuha, Lisa Reynolds, Jessee Fia’ali’i
2 citations
Abstract Background and aims In recent years, there has been increasing attention on the potential for psychedelic-assisted therapies to be used in healthcare. However, the turbulent history of psychedelics challenges its implementation and concerns about cultural safety, equity, and diversity in research remain unresolved. In Āotearoa New Zealand, Pasifika populations face significant health...
The New Zealand medical journal
March 14, 2025
Carly Hanna, Eva Morunga, Alesha Wells et al.
2 citations
Psychedelic-assisted therapies are gaining interest as an innovative treatment for problems with mental health and addictions, and there are several clinical trials in this area currently being conducted in Aotearoa New Zealand. However, many stakeholder groups hold concerns about cultural acceptability and safety. While psychedelic substances have a long history overseas in various Indigenous...
J Psychoactive Drugs
September 4, 2024
Georgia Best, Eva Morunga, Alesha Wells et al.
1 citation
A Cross-Sectional Survey Investigating Māori and Non-Māori Cancer Patients' Views on Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Trials
August 24, 2024
Dimitri Daldegan-Bueno, Carina Joy Donegan, Anna Forsyth et al.
14 citations
Major depressive disorder (MDD) poses a significant global health burden with available treatments limited by inconsistent efficacy and notable side effects. Classic psychedelics, including lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), have garnered attention for their potential in treating psychiatric disorders. Microdosing, the repeated consumption of sub-hallucinogenic doses of psychedelics, has emerged...
Trials
May 21, 2024
Chiranth Bhagavan, Paul Glue, Will Evans et al.
7 citations
Symptoms of anxiety and depression are common in patients with terminal illness and multiple challenges exist with timely and effective care in this population. Several centres have reported that one dose of the serotonergic psychedelic psilocybin, combined with therapeutic support, improves these symptoms for up to 6 months in this patient group. Drawing upon related therapeutic mechanisms,...
Pilot and Feasibility Studies
February 12, 2024
Alesha Wells, A P Suresh Muthukumaraswamy, Eva Morunga et al.
10 citations
An advanced cancer diagnosis can be associated with a significant profile of distress. Psychedelic compounds have shown clinically significant effects in the treatment of psychological distress in patients with advanced-stage cancer. Given the challenges of delivering timely and effective intervention in the advanced cancer context, it is possible that an alternative, more pragmatic, approach...
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
February 5, 2024
Alesha Wells, Merciana Fernandes, Lisa Reynolds
37 citations
Abstract Background and aims Scientific interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics has been experiencing significant growth. Understanding the perceptions of psychedelic assisted psychotherapy (PAP) among health professional, patients, and the public is essential to guide future research objectives, trial protocols, and identify any barriers to future implementation. Methods A...
Pilot and Feasibility Studies
October 5, 2023
Carina Joy Donegan, Dimitri Daldegan-Bueno, Rachael Sumner et al.
23 citations
Globally, an estimated 260 million people suffer from depression [1], and there is a clear need for the development of new, alternative antidepressant therapies. In light of problems with the tolerability and efficacy of available treatments [2], a global trend is emerging for patients to self-treat depression with microdoses of psychedelic drugs such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and...
Palliative & Supportive Care
November 3, 2022
Lisa Reynolds, Brian S. Barnett, Jeremy Weleff et al.
19 citations
Abstract Objectives A resurgence of research investigating the administration of psychedelic compounds alongside psychotherapy suggests that this treatment is a promising intervention for anxiety, depression, and existential distress in people with cancer. However, psychedelic treatment that induces a mind-altering experience potentially poses barriers to vulnerable cancer patients, and...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
August 2, 2021
Lisa Reynolds, Amelia Akroyd, Frederick Sundram et al.
33 citations
Recent clinical trials suggest that psychedelic-assisted therapy is a promising intervention for reducing anxiety and depression and ameliorating existential despair in advanced cancer patients. However, little is known about perceptions toward this treatment from the key gatekeepers to this population. The current study aimed to understand the perceptions of cancer healthcare professionals...
Trials
April 23, 2021
Robin J Murphy, Rachael Sumner, William Evans et al.
23 citations
BACKGROUND: Regular ingestion of sub-hallucinogenic doses of psychedelics, referred to as "microdosing", has gained increasing popularity and attention in the press and in online forums, with reported benefits across multiple cognitive and emotional domains. Rigorously controlled studies to date, however, have been limited in scope and have failed to produce results comparable to those reported...