Scientific Reports
August 22, 2023
Hannes Kettner, Stephen Ross, Richard J. Zeifman et al.
31 citations
Co-using a low dose of MDMA with psilocybin or LSD is associated with less intense challenging experiences—such as grief and fear—and increased feelings of self-compassion, love, and gratitude, compared to using psilocybin or LSD alone. In a survey of 698 people planning to use these substances, the 27 who also took a low dose of MDMA reported these benefits without a reduction in mystical-type experiences or compassion. Medium-to-high MDMA doses did not show the same effects. The findings suggest MDMA may buffer against some difficult aspects of psychedelic experiences, but the study's small, non-experimental convenience sample limits certainty.
Focus (American Psychiatric Publishing)
October 1, 2022
Jenna M Traynor, Daniel E. Roberts, Stephen Ross et al.
14 citations
Borderline personality disorder is a complex psychiatric condition with limited and often ineffective treatment options, high variability in patient response, and frequent dropout from therapy. This review considers the potential of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy (MDMA-AP) as a new or complementary treatment. Based on MDMA-AP's promise in treating overlapping disorders like posttraumatic stress disorder, the authors propose initial treatment targets and hypothesized mechanisms of change grounded in prior literature and theory. They also outline considerations for designing clinical trials to investigate the safety, feasibility, and preliminary effects of MDMA-AP for borderline personality disorder.
Psychedelic Med (New Rochelle)
December 13, 2023
Kelley C O'Donnell, Daniel E. Roberts, Terence H. W. Ching et al.
13 citations
The term 'psychedelic' carries multiple, sometimes conflicting, meanings across different contexts—scientific, cultural, legal, and historical. This ambiguity can hinder clear communication and slow research progress by creating misunderstandings among researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and the public. The authors argue that recognizing and clarifying these varied definitions is essential for advancing the field, as precise language helps align expectations, improve study reproducibility, and inform policy decisions. Without shared understanding, efforts to study and apply psychedelics therapeutically risk confusion and fragmentation.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
February 7, 2025
Amy Lehrner, Heather Jackson, David S. Mathai et al.
11 citations
Among 679 adults using psilocybin in naturalistic settings, 68.2% reported acute feelings of shame or guilt during the experience, which were difficult to predict. The ability to constructively work through these feelings predicted wellbeing 2-4 weeks later. On average, psilocybin produced a small but significant decrease in trait shame maintained 2-3 months after use (Cohen's dz = 0.37), though trait shame increased in 29.8% of participants. The activation of self-conscious emotions with psychedelics warrants further attention as a challenging experience subcategory relevant to psychological outcomes, potentially creating a unique learning condition for shame-related memory reconsolidation.
Neuropharmacology
July 1, 2025
Brennan M. Carrithers, Daniel E. Roberts, Brandon M Weiss et al.
4 citations
Psychedelic therapy may hold potential for treating personality disorders by promoting adaptive changes in personality, though rigorous research is lacking. This review first examines research on psychedelics in individuals with personality disorders using the DSM-5-TR categorical model, then applies the dimensional DSM-AMPD framework to explore how psychedelics might affect self-functioning, interpersonal functioning, and pathological personality traits. The authors discuss clinical relevance, safety considerations, gaps, and recommendations for treating these complex populations.
Research Square
October 15, 2024
Alexandra R. Gordon, Brennan M. Carrithers, Broc A. Pagni et al.
3 citations
Among individuals who reported a personality disorder diagnosis, psychedelic use was associated with improvements in mental health outcomes. In two observational studies, participants showed reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms lasting up to 2-3 months, with moderate to large effect sizes. Suicidal ideation decreased, and no participants moved to high risk of suicidal behavior after use. A small proportion experienced clinically significant worsening of anxiety (up to 8.2%) or depression (up to 7.1%). Transient increases in cognitive flexibility and sustained increases in cognitive reappraisal were observed, with the latter linked to reduced anxiety and depression. The findings are limited by small sample sizes and self-reported data.
Biological Psychiatry
April 27, 2021
Julia Benville, Gabrielle Agin-Liebes, Daniel E. Roberts et al.
3 citations
No Summary
Int Rev Psychiatry
September 11, 2024
Mary E. Yaden, Terence H. W. Ching, Noam Goldway et al.
2 citations
A survey of US psychiatry residency training directors found that most (64%) favor adding more time for psychedelic education, yet many worry about a lack of educational materials (54%) and limited faculty to teach the content (46%). Almost all programs (94%) expressed some interest in a standardized curriculum in psychedelic medicine. Training directors recognize current offerings are limited and want more support to meet the coming demand for education in this emerging field.
PsyArXiv
March 26, 2026
Broc A. Pagni, Stephen Ross, Sarah E. Mennenga et al.
preprint
An open-label extension of a Phase II randomized controlled trial examined the safety and efficacy of psilocybin-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder. Participants who had received either psilocybin or placebo in the main trial were offered two open-label psilocybin sessions. The treatment was well tolerated, with no serious adverse events attributed to psilocybin. Heavy drinking days decreased substantially from baseline, and the reduction was sustained through the 32-week follow-up. The findings suggest that psilocybin-assisted therapy may produce durable reductions in alcohol consumption among individuals with alcohol use disorder.
October 14, 2023
David S. Mathai, Daniel E. Roberts, Sandeep M. Nayak et al.
preprint
A longitudinal study of 679 adults planning to use psilocybin in naturalistic settings found that while most users (89.7%) described the experience as positive, acute feelings of shame or guilt were commonly reported (68.2% of users) and difficult to predict. The ability to constructively work through these feelings predicted wellbeing 2-4 weeks after use. Psilocybin produced a small but significant average decrease in trait shame that lasted 2-3 months, but trait shame increased in a notable minority (29.8%) of participants. The activation of shame-related experiences with psychedelics may pose a unique learning condition for both therapeutic and detrimental forms of memory reconsolidation.