Journal of Affective Disorders
June 7, 2026
Lindsay L Benster, Jordan N Kohn, Benjamin Wade et al.
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and intranasal esketamine are FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), yet comparative real-world data on response trajectories and predictors of outcomes remain limited. A retrospective analysis was performed using electronic medical records from UC San Diego Health. Adults with TRD treated with rTMS (n = 279) or intranasal...
Pharmacology Research & Perspectives
May 10, 2026
Jessie Kim, Liam Lochhead, Cory R. Weissman
Interest in psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is surging across research and medical communities, prompting the discussion of policy shifts that reflect growing openness to implementing psychedelics in clinical practice. State-level psychedelic reform in the United States has accelerated since 2019, with legalization projected to reach most states within the next decade if trends follow those...
Community mental health journal
April 1, 2026
Kush V. Bhatt, Joseph Friedman, Lindsay L Benster et al.
Recreational psychedelic use is increasing, yet data on adverse events remains limited. This study characterized emergency department (ED) visits associated with recreational psychedelic use at UC San Diego Medical Center. We conducted a retrospective chart review of ED encounters (2010–2023). Cases were identified using ICD-10 hallucinogen-related codes and confirmed through manual review....
Psychiatry Research
February 19, 2026
Trisha Menon, Andy Lu, Akhilan Arulmozhi et al.
Ketamine, esketamine, rTMS and ECT are associated with reductions in SI in persons with MDD, with the strongest evidence from randomized controlled trials supporting rapid, short-term effects, particularly for ketamine and esketamine. Further characterization and differentiation of the durability of antisuicidal effects of the aforementioned interventions requires investigation in large-scale,...
Translational Psychiatry
November 17, 2025
Noah Stapper, Lindsay L Benster, Sahit Menon et al.
1 citation
Suicidal ideation (SI) is associated with increased morbidity and is one of the main modifiable risk factors for suicide. While initial evidence indicates the efficacy of several treatments for SI, most treatments were not developed to specifically target SI and are often associated with side effects or high relapse rates. Limited understanding of the neurophysiological basis of SI has hindered...
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
January 8, 2025
Ali Abdolizadeh, Brett D. M. Jones, Maryam Hosseini Kupaei et al.
2 citations
Objective: Psychiatric inpatients represent an acutely vulnerable population with high rates of suicidality (ie, suicidal ideation, attempts, and completed suicide). This systematic review aimed to evaluate treatments for suicidality delivered within inpatient settings. Data Sources: MEDLINE, Embase, APA PsycInfo, CINAHL, and The Cochrane Library were systematically searched using 3 concepts:...
Psychedelic Med (New Rochelle)
March 12, 2024
Alexander Wen, Nikhita Singhal, Brett D. M. Jones et al.
36 citations
Introduction: Effective blinding is especially challenging in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving psychedelics due to the inherent alterations in consciousness that these compounds induce. In this systematic review and exploratory analysis, we aim at synthesizing the methodologies used in RCTs involving classic psychedelics and identify procedures that can help minimize unblinding and...
npj Mental Health Research
February 20, 2024
Kush V. Bhatt, Cory R. Weissman
29 citations
Psilocybin is a serotonergic psychedelic shown to have enduring antidepressant effects. Currently, the mechanism for its enduring effects is not well understood. Empathy and prosocial behavior may be important for understanding the therapeutic benefit of psilocybin. In this article we review the effect of psilocybin on empathy and prosocial behavior. Moreover, we propose that psilocybin may...
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
May 9, 2022
Richard J. Zeifman, Dengdeng Yu, Nikhita Singhal et al.
2 citations
correction
To the Editor: Our group recently published in JCP the first meta-analysis of patient-level data on the effects of psychedelics on suicidality. 1 While not described in our article, it is noteworthy that 2 suicidality-related events that had been deemed not attributable to the administration of a psychedelic (by the authors of the primary outcome studies) occurred within the studies included in...
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
January 13, 2022
Richard J. Zeifman, Dengdeng Yu, Nikhita Singhal et al.
18 citations
Objective: Suicide is a global health concern, and innovative interventions that target suicidality are needed. While psychedelic therapy shows promise for a range of mental health concerns, including suicidality, not all psychedelic therapy trials have published their suicidality results and no meta-analysis has been published on the topic. Therefore, we completed the first meta-analysis of...
ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science
March 11, 2021
Richard J. Zeifman, Nikhita Singhal, Leah Breslow et al.
60 citations
Use of classic psychedelics (e.g., psilocybin, ayahuasca, and lysergic acid diethylamide) is increasing, and psychedelic therapy is receiving growing attention as a novel mental health intervention. Suicidality remains a potential safety concern associated with classic psychedelics and is, concurrently, a mental health concern that psychedelic therapy may show promise in targeting. Accordingly,...
Psychopharmacology
February 1, 2021
Richard J. Zeifman, Nikhita Singhal, Rafael G. Dos Santos et al.
79 citations
Suicidality is a major public health concern with limited treatment options. Accordingly, there is a need for innovative interventions for suicidality. Preliminary evidence indicates that treatment with the psychedelic ayahuasca may lead to decreases in depressive symptoms among individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, there remains limited understanding of whether ayahuasca...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
February 28, 2020
Daniel Rosenbaum, Cory R. Weissman, Thomas Anderson et al.
75 citations
Rationale: Microdosing psychedelics – the practice of consuming small, sub-hallucinogenic doses of substances such as LSD or psilocybin – is gaining attention in popular media but remains poorly characterized. Contemporary studies of psychedelic microdosing have yet to report the basic psychiatric descriptors of psychedelic microdosers. Objectives: To examine the practices and demographics of a...
Harm Reduction Journal
July 9, 2019
Thomas Anderson, Rotem Petranker, Adam Christopher et al.
130 citations
These mixed-methods results help summarize and frame the experiences reported by an active microdosing community as high-potential avenues for future scientific research. The MDBC taxonomy reported here informs future research, leveraging participant reports to distil the highest-potential intervention targets so research funding can be efficiently allocated. Microdosing research complements...
Psychopharmacology
January 2, 2019
Thomas Anderson, Rotem Petranker, Daniel Rosenbaum et al.
171 citations
RationaleMicrodosing psychedelics-the regular consumption of small amounts of psychedelic substances such as LSD or psilocybin-is a growing trend in popular culture. Recent studies on full-dose psychedelic psychotherapy reveal promising benefits for mental well-being, especially for depression and end-of-life anxiety. While full-dose therapies include perception-distorting properties,...