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Will Lucas

4 papers in the library · publishing 2025-2026

Papers

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Well-being as a primary endpoint in clinical trials: a call for consensus

npj Mental Health Research August 6, 2026 Elliot Marseille, Hannes Kettner, Tyrone J. Sgambati et al.

Abstract Psychiatric trials typically define success as symptom reduction, yet patients prioritize meaning, vitality, and functioning. This imbalance undervalues experiential benefits, distorting clinical, policy, and FDA decisions. Psychedelic trials illustrate this, where robust well-being gains sometimes accompany modest symptom effects. We argue well-being should be elevated to co-primary...

MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder: A Randomized, Open-label, Wait-list Controlled Trial

June 4, 2026 Jason B. Luoma, M. Kati Lear, Brian Pilecki et al. preprint

Background: ±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) has positive effects on socio-emotional processing and MDMA-Assisted Therapy (MDMA-AT) showed promise for treating SAD in a previous placebo-controlled trial. Aims: Develop a preliminary estimate of clinical response and safety for MDMA-AT versus waitlist in adults with SAD. Secondary aims included refinement of a standardized psychotherapy...

Mindset Over Molecule: Comparing Self-Transcendent and Mystical Experiences Across Recreational Psilocybin, MDMA, and Cannabis Use

Research Square September 12, 2025 Christina Chwyl, Angelica Spata, Will Lucas et al.

Abstract Background Self-transcendent and mystical experiences may be key mechanisms underlying psychedelics’ therapeutic effects, yet how these experiences differ across substances remains unclear. This study compared mystical and self-transcendent experiences across psilocybin, 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and cannabis in a diverse, community-based sample, while accounting for...