ISSN 0007-1250, 1472-1465
116 papers in the library · 6,061 citations · publishing 1963-2026
The British Journal of Psychiatry August 10, 2026 Yi Zhang, Yongbo Zheng, Meng Jin et al.
Psychedelics hold promise for psychiatry, yet clinical translation remains premature. Addressing the challenges of psychedelics in psychiatry requires advances in mechanistic study, clinical implementation, regulatory governance and public discourse in parallel.
The British Journal of Psychiatry July 17, 2026 Ruslan Zinchenko
This editorial highlights the UK's drug regulatory double standards. Drugs for assisted suicide would bypass standard regulation despite limited evidence, while psychedelics face significant barriers despite promising evidence internationally. I argue that drugs for assisted suicide should meet the same regulatory standards, and psychedelics should be rescheduled to enable further clinical...
The British Journal of Psychiatry July 14, 2026 Ruslan Zinchenko
In this editorial, I examine the parallels between conventional and assisted suicide. Psychedelic therapy has been shown to alleviate end-of-life distress and reduce suicidality. I advocate for rescheduling psychedelics to enable research into their effectiveness as an adjunct to palliative care, prior to institutionalising assisted suicide in the UK.
The British Journal of Psychiatry July 8, 2026 Hannah Douglass, Meg J. Spriggs, Kate Godfrey et al.
Background Anorexia nervosa is a debilitating eating disorder with high mortality and chronicity rates owing to the paucity of effective existing treatments. Several clinical trials using psilocybin therapy have demonstrated therapeutic efficacy and safety in psychiatric conditions, including anorexia nervosa. Aims This study aimed to further assess the safety, feasibility and potential...
The British Journal of Psychiatry July 6, 2026 Nick Glozier, Richard W. Morris, Elizabeth Stratton et al.
BACKGROUND: Longer-term outcome and safety data of repeated subcutaneous racemic ketamine for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is lacking, as is knowledge of the impact of prior ketamine treatment on subsequent response. AIMS: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of a 4-week course of subcutaneous racemic ketamine over 6 months and investigate whether prior ketamine treatment influences...
The British Journal of Psychiatry May 28, 2026 Peter M. Haddad
Anxiety disorders are common and disabling. Current drugs have limited efficacy, notable side-effects and little innovation. This editorial briefly reviews past, current and emerging anxiolytic treatments, including psychedelic-assisted therapies, and highlights key themes. There remains a major need for improved medications to reduce disability and improve quality of life.
The British Journal of Psychiatry April 1, 2026 Rashmi Patel
Summary Cannabis use increases the risk of psychosis, but cannabis-based medicinal products may provide additional therapeutic opportunities. Decriminalisation of cannabis has led to wider availability in certain jurisdictions, while in the UK regulated medicinal preparations are not readily accessible. A more balanced approach could reduce harms while maximising potential therapeutic benefits.
The British Journal of Psychiatry March 30, 2026 Katharine A. Smith, Edward Harcourt, Andrea Cipriani 1 citation
Psychedelics are increasingly described as a new therapeutic approach in a variety of mental disorders including depression. Oral psychedelics such as psilocybin have an acute effect evolving over 6-8 h and are generally given in combination with psychological support. There is debate on the exact role of this support and how and by whom it should be delivered. This has significant implications...
The British Journal of Psychiatry February 10, 2026 Tor-Morten Kvam, Ivar W Goksøyr, Justyna Rog et al.
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The British Journal of Psychiatry November 3, 2025 Alaina V Burns, Kyle Nelson, Haley Wang et al. 7 citations
Research exploring delusions among individuals with psychosis often focuses on form, rather than content, and on prevalence, rather than change in a cohort over time. While delusional forms are mostly consistent across cultures and historical periods, the content of delusions is shaped by sociopolitical factors. We explored the form and content of delusions in a modern sample of individuals...
The British Journal of Psychiatry July 21, 2025 Amy Lehrner, Thomas B Hildebrandt, Rachel Yehuda
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The British Journal of Psychiatry July 11, 2025 Tor-Morten Kvam, Ivar W Goksøyr, Justyna Rog et al. 6 citations
3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) has shown promising safety and efficacy in phase 3 studies of post-traumatic stress disorder, but has not been investigated for a primary diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD). We aimed to explore the proof of principle and safety as a first study with MDMA-AT for MDD, and to provide preliminary efficacy data. Twelve...
The British Journal of Psychiatry June 18, 2025 Kyle T. Greenway, Nicolas Garel, Lê-Anh Dinh-Williams et al. 8 citations
Background Ketamine exerts potent but transient antidepressant effects in treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Combinations of ketamine and psychotherapy have attracted interest, but no trial has investigated a psychedelic model of ketamine–psychotherapy for TRD to our knowledge. Aims This secondary analysis of a randomised clinical trial (RCT) explores the therapeutic effects and experiential...
The British Journal of Psychiatry May 13, 2025 Shabnam Hossein, Manivel Rengasamy, Aiyedun Uzamere et al. 3 citations
Understanding the effects of ketamine on depressive symptoms could help identify which patients might benefit and clarify its mechanism of action in both the early (≤1 day post-infusion) and late (e.g. 2-30 days post-infusion) post-infusion periods. Symptom network analyses could provide complementary information regarding relationships between symptoms. To identify the effects of ketamine on...
The British Journal of Psychiatry April 2, 2025 Wei-Chen Lin, Li-Kai Cheng, Tung-Ping Su et al. 2 citations
Evidence suggests the crucial role of dysfunctional default mode (DMN), salience and frontoparietal (FPN) networks, collectively termed the triple network model, in the pathophysiology of treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Using the graph theory- and seed-based functional connectivity analyses, we attempted to elucidate the role of low-dose ketamine in the triple networks, namely the DMN,...
The British Journal of Psychiatry April 1, 2025 Jesus Montero-Marin, Verena Hinze, Shannon Maloney et al. 4 citations
Personalised management of recurrent depression, considering individual patient characteristics, is crucial. This study evaluates the potentially different mediating role of mindfulness skills in managing recurrent depression using mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) among people with varying depression severity. Data from the Prevention of Depressive Relapse or Recurrence (PREVENT)...
The British Journal of Psychiatry March 21, 2025 Emmert Roberts 1 citation
There has been substantial recent renewed interest and investment to assess the therapeutic potential of psychedelic compounds in addiction disorders. This editorial discusses the available evidence from randomised trials and future research directions in the field, together with potential implications for patients, professionals and the wider addiction treatment system.
The British Journal of Psychiatry March 17, 2025 Nirit Soffer-Dudek, Eli Somer, David Spiegel et al.
Maladaptive daydreaming is a distinct syndrome in which the main symptom is excessive vivid fantasising that causes clinically significant distress and functional impairment in academic, vocational and social domains. Unlike normal daydreaming, maladaptive daydreaming is persistent, compulsive and detrimental to one’s life. It involves detachment from reality in favour of intense emotional...
The British Journal of Psychiatry February 26, 2025 Ziad Saade, Alex S Keuroghlian 2 citations
This article explores the potential of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted therapy to enhance exposure and response prevention in obsessive-compulsive disorder treatment. We discuss the mechanisms of MDMA, including fear extinction, psychological flexibility, and empathogenic effects that may improve adherence and efficacy, as well as highlighting important safety considerations...
The British Journal of Psychiatry February 6, 2025 Eugene G. Breen, F. Al-Harbi
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The British Journal of Psychiatry February 1, 2025 Allan H. Young, Pierre-Michel Llorca, Andrea Fagiolini et al. 7 citations
In patients with treatment resistant depression (TRD), the ESCAPE-TRD study showed esketamine nasal spray was superior to quetiapine extended release. To determine the robustness of the ESCAPE-TRD results and confirm the superiority of esketamine nasal spray over quetiapine extended release. ESCAPE-TRD was a randomised, open-label, rater-blinded, active-controlled phase IIIb trial. Patients had...
The British Journal of Psychiatry January 7, 2025 Natalie T Mills, Stevan Nikolin, Nick Glozier et al. 3 citations Retracted
Anxiety disorders and treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (TRD) are often comorbid. Studies suggest ketamine has anxiolytic and antidepressant properties. To investigate if subcutaneous racemic ketamine, delivered twice weekly for 4 weeks, reduces anxiety in people with TRD. The Ketamine for Adult Depression Study was a multisite 4-week randomised, double-blind, active...
The British Journal of Psychiatry December 5, 2024 Emma S Høgsted, Vincent Beliveau, Brice Ozenne et al. 4 citations
Background Using [ 18 F]altanserin, a serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT 2A R) antagonist Positron Emission Tomography (PET) tracer, a positive association between cortical 5-HT 2A R binding and the inward-directed facets of neuroticism has been demonstrated in healthy individuals. Psilocybin, a 5-HT 2A R agonist, shows promise for the treatment of depression, reducing neuroticism and mood symptoms...
The British Journal of Psychiatry December 3, 2024 Edward Chesney, Thomas J. Reilly, Fraser Scott et al.
Background Abrupt cessation of heavy cannabis use can cause a withdrawal syndrome characterised by irritability, anxiety, insomnia, reduced appetite and restlessness. Recent reports have also described people in whom cannabis withdrawal immediately preceded the acute onset of psychosis. Aims To identify cases of psychosis associated with cannabis withdrawal. Method We completed a systematic...
The British Journal of Psychiatry November 1, 2024 Gero Joks, Steve Su, Jarrad King
Regarding the article, 'Efficacy and safety of a 4-week course of repeated subcutaneous ketamine injections for treatment-resistant depression (KADS study): randomised double-blind active-controlled trial', we commend Loo et al for undertaking the Ketamine for Adult Depression Study (KADS). In the interest of ensuring that accurate and balanced information is presented to healthcare...