npj Mental Health Research
February 20, 2024
Kush V. Bhatt, Cory R. Weissman
29 citations
Psilocybin, a serotonergic psychedelic, produces lasting antidepressant effects, but its mechanism is unclear. Empathy and prosocial behavior may play a key role. This review examines how psilocybin affects empathy and prosocial behavior and proposes that it initiates a positive feedback loop involving these social processes, which could explain its enduring antidepressant benefits.
npj Mental Health Research
October 6, 2024
Jack D. C. Dahan, David Dadiomov, Tijmen Bostoen et al.
13 citations
Subjective effects of psychedelics like ketamine and psilocybin appear to play a modest role in their therapeutic outcomes for depression and substance use disorder. A meta-analysis of 23 ketamine studies (471 patients) and 8 psilocybin studies (183 patients) found that subjective experiences explained 5–10% of therapeutic improvement for ketamine and 24% for psilocybin. Psilocybin showed a greater mediating effect than ketamine, especially for depression. Substance use disorder treatment showed a larger mediating effect than depression, regardless of the drug.
npj Mental Health Research
February 7, 2025
Ari Brouwer, Joshua K Brown, Earth Erowid et al.
5 citations
Psychedelic therapy may work partly because of an overlooked temporal pattern: the initial 'come-up' phase often feels like an acute stress reaction, while the later 'come-down' phase brings positive feelings similar to recovery from illness or stress. A qualitative analysis of psilocybin experience reports from Erowid.org, using phenomenological, thematic content, and word frequency analysis, shows that negatively valenced states dominate the onset, and positively valenced states dominate the falling phase. This pattern helps explain how initially distressing altered states can ultimately resolve distress, with implications for therapeutic and theoretical understanding of psychedelic treatment.
npj Mental Health Research
November 8, 2023
Omer A. Syed, Benjamin Tsang
4 citations
Microdosing psilocybin, taking roughly a tenth of a full psychedelic dose, is becoming increasingly popular. These sub-perceptual doses cause no psychedelic effects, but anecdotal reports suggest they improve mental wellbeing, boost creativity, attention, and sociability, and treat low mood and anxiety. Recent self-report survey studies demonstrate overwhelmingly positive effects of microdosing on users' mental health.
npj Mental Health Research
April 2, 2026
Peng Tan, Yuqi Wu, Xinrong Chen et al.
3 citations
This systematic review of 37 studies found that mindfulness-based immersive interventions (MBIIs), which combine immersive technologies with mindfulness practices, show promise for treating depressive disorders. Most studies (69%) reported greater improvements in depressive and anxiety symptoms with MBIIs compared to conventional therapies, and 78% found improvements in psychological processes. A subset (67%) reported greater feasibility and acceptance for immersive approaches, while 89% noted improvements in physiological outcomes. However, the review highlights significant gaps, including variability in sessions and VR configurations, insufficient active controls, and limited long-term validation.
npj Mental Health Research
July 2, 2024
Maryam Golafshani, Daniel Z. Buchman, M Ishrat Husain
3 citations
A disability-rights perspective is brought to the debate about whether psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) researchers and clinicians should have personal experience with psychedelics. The authors argue that mandating or implying such experience can perpetuate ableism, because many psychiatric conditions and medications, including common antidepressants, may prevent safe psychedelic use. The field must prioritize disability inclusion among researchers and clinicians as PAP research and practice expand.
npj Mental Health Research
February 3, 2026
Anisha Rajan, Mahendra Kumar, Pranav Raj P
1 citation
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 17 randomized controlled trials involving 1,641 non-clinical adults found that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) significantly reduce perceived stress compared to control conditions. At baseline, stress levels were similar between groups. After the intervention, MBI participants reported lower perceived stress, with a moderate-to-large effect size. Within-group improvements were substantial for MBI groups, while control groups showed only marginal changes. The stress-reducing effect was consistent across different regions and delivery methods, with larger effects for indirect interventions. No significant moderators were identified, and the results were robust with minimal publication bias. These findings support MBIs as effective, scalable strategies for stress reduction in non-clinical adults.
npj Mental Health Research
January 31, 2026
Clayton Olash, Derrick Matthew Buchanan, Randi Brown et al.
1 citation
A single open-label magnesium-ibogaine treatment prompted four recurring experiential themes among 30 male U.S. Special Operations veterans with TBI and PTSD: guided replay of autobiographical memories that allowed trauma reappraisal; altered-self and mystical connectedness; emotional resolution marked by surges of forgiveness, love, and renewed purpose; and embodied healing with a vivid sense of neural repair, cognitive clarity, and somatic relief. These themes describe an accelerated, self-directed psychotherapeutic process that aligns with previously reported clinical improvements in the same cohort, suggesting mind-body mechanisms involving rapid neuroplastic change.
npj Mental Health Research
April 24, 2025
Jacob Ross, Bruna Cuccurazzu, Dylan Delmar et al.
1 citation
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is linked to poor hippocampal function and disrupted pattern recognition. Cannabis use is common among people with PTSD, but its impact on these cognitive functions is unclear. In 111 participants with varying PTSD symptoms, regular and minimal cannabis users completed a mnemonic similarity task. High PTSD symptoms were associated with reduced pattern separation in minimal users. Regular users with high PTSD symptoms showed greater pattern separation, while those with low PTSD symptoms showed reduced pattern separation. The results suggest regular cannabis use may disrupt pattern separation and hippocampal-dependent processes, but may improve it in individuals with high PTSD symptoms. The cross-sectional design requires longitudinal follow-up to evaluate causal effects.
npj Mental Health Research
July 10, 2026
Constantin Volkmann, Michael Seitz, Ricarda Evens et al.
Among Berlin university students followed for one year, first-time psychedelic users showed small increases in Openness and decreases in Conscientiousness compared to never-users. After adjusting for age, sex, income, psychiatric diagnosis, and baseline substance use, the changes were attenuated and not statistically significant after correction for multiple comparisons. Exploratory analyses indicated that first-time users with psychiatric diagnoses experienced larger reductions in Neuroticism. The personality changes were not clearly different from those seen in first-time users of other illicit substances, and the authors caution against causal interpretation.
npj Mental Health Research
January 29, 2026
E. K. Argyri, F. Fraser, S. Schilling et al.
Psychedelic experiences can catalyze transformative shifts in worldview, particularly through integrating self-transcendent states. In a mixed-methods study of 90 participants, recalled awe from acute psychedelic experiences—specifically its vastness and connectedness components—was positively associated with greater perceived self-other overlap afterward. Thematic analysis identified three clusters of epistemic change: expanded awareness and openness to complexity, dissolution of societal and natural boundaries, and increased prosociality, compassion, and acceptance of difference. These patterns suggest that boundary-expanding experiences promote reflective meaning-making toward more holistic, interconnected frameworks for understanding self, others, and the world. Further research is needed to develop culturally attuned integration resources.
npj Mental Health Research
August 23, 2025
Vaibhav Tripathi, Lakshmi Bhaskar, Chhaya Kharya et al.
Rhythmic breathing during Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) accentuates theta brain rhythms, enabling an easier transition to a relaxed meditative state characterized by delta-theta rhythms, reduced alpha power, and decreased aperiodic signals. These findings come from EEG data collected from 43 subjects before, after, and during various stages of the technique.
npj Mental Health Research
July 31, 2025
Xuefeng Xu, Haosen Ni, Huabin Wang et al.
Internet gaming disorder involves abnormal functional connectivity in brain networks for executive control and reward processing. A randomized clinical trial with 80 patients compared mindfulness meditation (twice-weekly for 8 sessions) to progressive muscle relaxation. Mindfulness meditation enhanced connectivity within the executive control network and between the executive control and reward networks, improving top-down control over gaming cravings. The findings suggest mindfulness meditation can effectively treat internet gaming disorder.