Scientific Reports
September 11, 2026
Pedro J. Teixeira, Aaron D. Cherniak, Matthias Forstmann
While some studies suggest that psychedelic use may be linked to positive environmental attitudes and health behaviors, the relationship between these factors remains underexplored. This study investigates the associations between lifetime use of psilocybin and LSD, environmental attitudes, and dietary behaviors using data from two UK birth cohort studies: the 1958 National Child Development...
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
March 19, 2026
Pedro J. Teixeira, Jorge Encantado, Helena D Amaro et al.
Ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian psychoactive brew, has gained increasing attention for its potential health benefits; however, no previous research has investigated its use in Portugal. This study aims to evaluate the health status, lifestyle behaviors, and psychosocial well-being of Portuguese ayahuasca users, comparing their self-reported health indicators with population norms. A...
Discover Mental Health
March 7, 2026
Nicholas Fabiano, Brendon Stubbs, David W. Lawrence et al.
Upwards of 50% of people do not respond to the primary treatment modalities for major depressive disorder (MDD), which has led to increased attention and use of alternative methods, including exercise and psychedelics. While interventions using either exercise or psychedelics have demonstrated largely positive results in isolation, their synergistic potential has yet to be explored. As such,...
Neuropharmacology
2026
Luisa Prochazkova, Laura C. Carvalho, Natasza Marrouch et al.
While microdosing psychedelics is increasingly popular for enhancing well-being, its effects on health behavior change (HBC) remain poorly understood. This study investigated self-reported health-related behavior changes and putative underlying psychological mechanisms associated with psychedelic microdosing in a naturalistic setting. A retrospective mixed-method survey was conducted with 365...
Journal of Health Psychology
December 31, 2025
Laura C. Carvalho, Jorge Encantado, Arlen C. Moller et al.
Health-related behaviors are essential determinants of health and well-being, yet unhealthy patterns persist globally. Psychedelics may represent an innovative tool for facilitating positive behavior change. This study investigated retrospective health-related behavior changes attributed to past psychedelic experiences. An online survey was completed by 271 adults who reported on the...
Sci Rep
November 25, 2025
Laura C. Carvalho, Jorge Encantado, Michiel van Elk et al.
In addition to evidence supporting the use of psychedelics in treating alcohol and tobacco misuse, emerging research suggests that psychedelic experiences may also facilitate beneficial changes in other health behaviors, such as diet, exercise, and meditation. This retrospective, survey-based study explored perceived health behavior changes following psychedelic experiences, from the...
European Health Psychologist
August 25, 2025
Talea Cornelius, Jorge Encantado, Laura Lopes de Carvalho et al.
Psychedelic treatments show promise for improving health and well-being. This article summarizes the history of early psychedelic research and its recent renaissance. Although much of this research focuses on mental health and substance abuse, observational studies have linked psychedelic use to outcomes such as healthier diet, lower rates of heart disease, and even spontaneous, positive...
Preventive Medicine Reports
August 1, 2025
Pedro J. Teixeira, Rakesh Jain, Andrew Penn et al.
1 citation
Psychedelics have been increasingly studied for their potential to influence mental health and well-being, yet their relationship with broader health behaviors remains underexplored. This study examined associations between lifetime psychedelic use and health-related behaviors, including substance use, dietary habits, and impulsive tendencies. Using an extensive cross-sectional online survey,...
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
June 28, 2025
Laura C. Carvalho, Jorge Encantado, Hannes Kettner et al.
6 citations
Psychedelic research has traditionally focused on controlled, clinical settings to evaluate the therapeutic potential of substances such as psilocybin. However, in recent years, there has been growing interest in naturalistic research, which explores psychedelic use in real-world settings. This review aims to critically analyze trends in naturalistic psychedelic research, focusing on sample...
Acta medica portuguesa
May 2, 2025
Pedro Mota, Jorge Encantado, Laura C. Carvalho et al.
1 citation
Ketamine has garnered attention for its rapid efficacy in alleviating depressive symptoms in treatment-resistant depression, offering a novel mechanism as a non-monoaminergic agent. Despite its potential, limited research has explored mental health professionals' perspectives on its use. This study assesses the attitudes, knowledge, and concerns of Portuguese psychiatrists and psychologists...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
May 29, 2021
Pedro J. Teixeira, Matthew W. Johnson, Christopher Timmermann et al.
87 citations
Healthful behaviours such as maintaining a balanced diet, being physically active and refraining from smoking have major impacts on the risk of developing cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and other serious conditions. The burden of the so-called ‘lifestyle diseases’—in personal suffering, premature mortality and public health costs—is considerable. Consequently, interventions designed...
March 24, 2021
Pedro J. Teixeira, Matthew W. Johnson, Christopher Timmermann et al.
1 citation
preprint
Healthful behaviors such as maintaining a balanced diet, being physically active, and refraining from smoking have major impacts on the risk of developing cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and other serious conditions. The burden of the so-called “lifestyle diseases” - in personal suffering, premature mortality, and public health costs - is considerable. Consequently, interventions...