Ketamine produces rapid antidepressant effects, but the molecular processes associated with their persistence remain poorly defined in humans. We examined longitudinal DNA methylation changes in 10 adults with major depressive disorder undergoing ketamine-assisted psychotherapy using two pre-treatment assessments (T1, T2) and one post-treatment assessment (T3). Participants received three...
This preliminary study explored the effects of MDMA-assisted therapy on trauma symptoms related to discrimination, as measured by the Trauma Symptoms of Discrimination Scale (TSDS). A total of five diverse participants, who experienced multiple types of discrimination (e.g., gender, racial/ethnic, social class, age, sexual orientation), were assessed before and after treatment. A paired-samples...
Background Racism and discrimination are pervasive social determinants of health, yet mainstream mental health care often fails to address the psychological sequelae of racial trauma, or race-based traumatic stress (RBTS). While psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) has re-entered the scientific mainstream, empirical guidance for culturally attuned, integrative care is limited. This study explores...
This paper presents qualitative data reported by individuals with histories of psychotic symptoms and experiences who engaged in naturalistic psychedelic use compiled as a case series. Through detailed first-person narratives, we explore how both classic and non-classic psychedelic experiences were subjectively experienced and integrated by individuals in this population, which is usually...
The CAnadian Network for Psychedelic-Assisted Cancer Therapy (CAN-PACT) was launched in 2025 to address urgent gaps in supportive care for Canadians with cancer experiencing demoralization syndrome (loss of meaning, dysphoria, disheartenment, helplessness, a sense of failure) and related psychosocial distress. CAN-PACT has six major objectives: (1) to develop a national interdisciplinary...
The integration of psychedelic substances into modern Western therapeutic practice has sparked a critical examination of many topics including: efficacy of psychedelics to treat mental health diagnoses without psychotherapeutic intervention, what models of therapy to use, and ethical implications related to altered states of consciousness. Of utmost concern are issues of power dynamics leading...
Abstract Interest in psychedelic research in the West is surging, however, clinical trials have almost exclusively studied synthetic compounds such as MDMA, ketamine, DMT, LSD, ibogaine, and psilocybin. To date, few clinical trials have utilized whole mushroom/plant material like Psilocybe mushrooms, Iboga, or Ayahuasca. Individuals participating in the Roots To Thrive Psilocybin-Assisted...
As clinical trials for psychedelics move into phase III in the USA, Europe must address its lag in integrating professional education around psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) and supporting psychedelic drug research. This paper evaluates the necessary frameworks for implementing PAT in Germany, emphasizing the nation's potential leadership role within the European Union. With Australia having...
Individuals with a history of psychotic experiences and disorders such as schizophrenia, and mood disorders with psychotic features tend to be excluded from psychedelic-assisted therapy research and treatment programs, despite minimal research demonstrating heightened risk of adverse effects for this group. Participants (n = 100) were asked to complete an online, retrospective survey that asked...
As government agencies around the globe contemplate approval of the first psychedelic medicines, many questions remain about their ethical integration into mainstream medical practice. To identify key ethics and policy issues related to the eventual integration of psychedelic therapies into clinical practice. From June 9 to 12, 2023, 27 individuals representing the perspectives of clinicians,...
This study contributes to the understanding of the efficacy, safety, and experience of ketamine-assisted therapy. The paper documents how individuals describe the effects of a protocolized and personalized use of ketamine (‘the relational dose’) in the context of group couples therapy based on Imago Relationship Therapy (IRT). Little is known about simultaneously administering ketamine to both...
Currently, individuals with personal or familial histories of psychopathological experiences of psychosis, psychotic spectrum disorders, bipolar disorder, and similar conditions are excluded from most psychedelic clinical trials, studies, and treatment programs. This study sought to determine why such an exclusion exists, what the implications of the exclusion criteria are, and if there was...
Psychedelics are being studied for the treatment of numerous mental health disorders, as well as a means of bringing people together. Nonetheless, people of color and those with other marginalized identities have not been fully included. Studies and research on psychedelic-assisted therapies have largely excluded people of color, leaving out fundamental clinical issues for these populations....
The field of psychedelics is in an important era, with a significant focus on the potential role of psychedelic compounds in the treatment of mental health and substance use disorders. In 2022, a scientific research conference was held in Toronto to bring together stakeholders from a variety of disciplines and to promote dialogue and collaboration. This Special Issue includes 8 papers based on...
Abstract Background Hypotheses surrounding the etiology of depressive disorders encompass a wide range of biological changes that can occur in a depressed individual, from gene variations to epigenetic modifications and not only serotonergic mechanisms. Once again, the therapy response of the patient to antidepressants is connected to modifications in the epigenetic regulation of genes within...
Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) is gaining renewed interest as a treatment for various mental disorders. However, there has been limited Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) representation in PAP clinical trials, signaling the need for culturally consonant communication about the efficacy and safety of PAP. We randomly assigned 321 BIPOC and 301 non-Hispanic White...
Evidence suggests that psychedelics may serve as a therapeutic approach to reduce substance use; however, people with racial and ethnic minoritized (REM) identities are often excluded from this research. We investigated whether psychedelic use affects other substance use among REM people and whether perceived changes in psychological flexibility and racial trauma mediates this association. REM...
The field of psychedelic studies is expanding at a rapid pace and the need for academic institutions to engage more directly with this emergent field is growing. There have been some initial moves within the academy to begin tackling this evolving landscape, but these efforts have been relatively siloed along traditional disciplinary lines. Academic inquiry helps shape our collective engagement...
Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is a burgeoning treatment with growing interest across a variety of settings and disciplines. Empirical evidence supports PAT as a novel therapeutic approach that provides safe and effective treatment for people suffering from a variety of diagnoses, including treatment-resistant depression, substance use disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Within...
OBJECTIVE: Despite strong evidence for the safety and efficacy of ketamine in the treatment of mood disorders, the enrollment of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) has not been a focus of this research. Health disparities in the treatment of mood disorders in BIPOC indicate a strong need to understand the clinical, social, and pharmacological aspects of this novel treatment in...
Background: Limited ethnoracial diversity in previous ±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) trials for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has prompted questions concerning whether Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) also benefit from this treatment. Methods: Secondary analysis was conducted using a modified intent-to-treat sample pooled from two Phase 2...
Background The current study is one of the first to examine race, ethnic, and sex differences in the prevalence of and trends in hallucinogen use among lifetime users in the United States. Methods Data came from the 2015–2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health and included respondent's reporting ever-using hallucinogens ( n = 41,060; female = 40.4%). Descriptive and multinomial logistic...
MDMA (±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine)-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) was shown in previous clinical trials to have promising efficacy and safety for alleviating treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, due to low ethnoracial diversity, the question remains as to whether ethnoracial minority participants would benefit similarly. Thus, a mixed-methods case study was...
Abstract Background Currently, personal or familial histories of psychotic symptoms are exclusionary criteria for most psychedelic clinical trials, studies, and treatment programs. This study sought to determine why such an exclusion exists, what the implications of the exclusion criteria are, and if there was agreement in expert opinion. Methods In-depth interviews with 12 experts in the...
There is a need to understand ways in which Asians in North America attempt to heal from racial trauma, given their well-documented high risk of exposure and associated adverse mental health outcomes. We conducted a secondary analysis of Asians from a survey of people of color in North America who have consumed psychedelics in response to racial discrimination. Ninety-two Asian participants...