J Affect Disord
May 16, 2026
David S. Mathai, Madeleine Cluck, Amna M. Aslam et al.
1 citation
Interdisciplinary, Delphi-driven consensus guidelines on the use of intravenous ketamine infusions for depressive disorders from the American Society of Ketamine Physicians, Psychotherapists, and Practitioners (ASKP3).
JAMA Netw Open
January 2, 2026
Amy L. Mcguire, Logan Neitzke-Spruill, Jill O. Robinson et al.
4 citations
Importance: The availability of psychedelic retreats has grown to meet the demand for access to these substances. Despite centuries of use among Indigenous communities, psychedelics can pose serious risks for some users. Objective: To determine safety precautions that retreat organizations that offer psychedelic substances currently use. Design, Setting, and Participants: This qualitative study...
Translational Behavioral Medicine
2026
Joshua Mitchell, Logan Neitzke-Spruill, David S. Mathai et al.
1 citation
BACKGROUND: Psychedelics such as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and psilocybin are showing promising results in clinical trials for the treatment of mental health disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder, addiction, and treatment-resistant depression. US Food and Drug Administration approval may be on the horizon. Yet, little is known about how these treatments will move...
Psychiatr Res Clin Pract
February 11, 2025
Jules Evans, Marc Aixalà, Brian T Anderson et al.
18 citations
Objective: This article outlines recommendations from 30 psychedelic researchers on how to create a better psychedelic safety net. Methods: A survey of 30 psychedelic researchers asked them to identify key critical research gaps around psychedelic harm and safety. Results: The critical research gaps identified by the authors included defining the main types of psychedelic harm, the predictors...
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
February 7, 2025
Amy Lehrner, Heather Jackson, David S. Mathai et al.
11 citations
The classic psychedelic psilocybin has attracted special interest across clinical and non-clinical settings as a potential tool for mental health. Despite increasing attention to challenging psychedelic experiences, few studies have explored the relevance of shame-related processes with psychedelic use. This prospective, longitudinal study involved sequential, automated, web-based surveys that...
Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry
2025
David S. Mathai, Jill O. Robinson, Kevin Wagner et al.
1 citation
OBJECTIVE: Despite growing research on the potential mental health benefits of psychedelics, there has been limited study of these drugs in populations with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and with Hispanic and Latin American (H/L) ancestry. METHODS: Demographic and clinical assessments were conducted as part of the Latin American Trans-ancestry Initiative for OCD genomics (LATINO) Study in...
International review of psychiatry (Abingdon, England)
December 1, 2024
David S. Mathai
3 citations
Dissociative therapies are being increasingly explored for their psychiatric applications, although questions remain about how they work and how best to use them. In exploring these questions, this review highlights six key areas of clinical relevance: (1) The possible contributions of functional unblinding when interpreting efficacy data; (2) The degree to which the therapeutic effects of...
Scientific Reports
November 14, 2024
Erin Wang, David S. Mathai, Natalie Gukasyan et al.
18 citations
Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) with substances like psilocybin and MDMA has shown promise for conditions including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Psilocybin and MDMA may become approved medicines in the coming decade. This study assessed knowledge and attitudes regarding PAT among 879 U.S. healthcare professionals via anonymous online survey. Multivariable linear regression...
Journal of Affective Disorders
September 15, 2024
David S. Mathai, Thomas D Hull, Leonardo Vando et al.
22 citations
Improving safe and effective access to ketamine therapy is of high priority given the growing burden of mental illness. Telehealth-supported administration of sublingual ketamine is being explored toward this goal. In this longitudinal study, moderately-to-severely depressed patients received four doses of ketamine at home over four weeks within a supportive digital health context. Treatment...
Frontiers in Psychiatry
September 19, 2023
Hillary Jackson, Sara So, Abigail Yaffe et al.
87 citations
Introduction The classic psychedelic psilocybin, found in some mushroom species, has received renewed interest in clinical research, showing potential mental health benefits in preliminary trials. Naturalistic use of psilocybin outside of research settings has increased in recent years, though data on the public health impact of such use remain limited. Methods This prospective, longitudinal...
Psychedelic Medicine
August 30, 2023
Samantha Hilbert, David S. Mathai, Nathan D. Sepeda et al.
10 citations
This analysis suggests the utility of exploring clinical applications of dissociatives that occur within the supportive contexts that are characteristic of psychedelic research and that prioritize the optimization of psychologically valuable drug experiences. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02033707).
Psychopharmacology
April 1, 2023
David S. Mathai, Sandeep M. Nayak, David B. Yaden et al.
36 citations
The relationship between subjective drug experience and antidepressant outcomes for ketamine derivatives is poorly understood but of high clinical relevance. Esketamine is the patented (S)-enantiomer of ketamine and has regulatory approval for psychiatric applications. We examined the relationship between acute dissociation, as measured by the Clinician-Administered Dissociative States Scale...
Journal of Affective Disorders
September 1, 2022
David S. Mathai, Scott M Lee, Victoria Mora et al.
16 citations
Given increasing community-based and off-label use of ketamine for psychiatric indications, we examined current informed consent processes from a convenience sample of outpatient ketamine clinics to identify areas of congruence with current evidence and opportunities for growth. Using a rubric developed from existing practice guidelines, we conducted an exploratory analysis of informed consent...
Frontiers in Psychology
March 25, 2022
David S. Mathai, Victoria Mora, Albert Garcia‐romeu
51 citations
Ketamine is a dissociative drug that has been used medically since the 1970s primarily as an anesthetic agent but also for various psychiatric applications. Anecdotal reports and clinical research suggest substantial potential for ketamine as a treatment in conjunction with psychological interventions. Here, we review historical and modern approaches to the use of ketamine with psychotherapy,...
Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology
October 1, 2021
David S. Mathai, Alexis G. McCathern, Andrew G. Guzick et al.
14 citations
Objectives: Investigation into parental decision-making processes involving ketamine is of high priority, given the necessary role of parents in consenting to treatment. In this study, we examined parental attitudes toward the emerging use of ketamine in adolescent mood disorders and suicidality. Methods: Two hundred eighty-three English-speaking parents completed an online survey using Amazon...