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...
Rates of mental illness in young people are increasing, whereas the development of novel mental health treatments has not significantly progressed. Psychedelic-assisted therapy, using substances such as psilocybin and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), has shown potential in the treatment of mental illnesses in the adult population, including depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress...
May 4, 2026Victoria Burmester, Laura Aggett, David Nutt et al.
preprint
Background3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is associated with distinctive prosocial and empathogenic effects, yet the consistency and scope of its impact on social functioning in humans remain unclear. Although numerous placebo-controlled studies have examined MDMA’s acute social effects, findings vary widely across subjective and behavioural domains.MethodsWe conducted a systematic...
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...