Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAT) shows promise for treating PTSD, depression, and substance use disorders, with potential FDA approval of psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression by 2026. This commentary calls for implementation scientists to collaborate with PAT researchers and practitioners to bring these treatments into routine practice, especially in safety-net settings like Federally Qualified Health Centers and Veterans Affairs health systems that serve historically marginalized populations. Using the RE-AIM Framework, the authors outline how implementation science can contribute tools, methodologies, and approaches to ensure PAT is safe, effective, and accessible for underserved communities.
Clinical investigators anticipate that psychedelic medicine, including MDMA and psilocybin, could eventually fit into routine clinical care and may even improve it, despite distinct challenges. These treatments differ from existing ones in drug effects, treatment models, and broader goals. Key translational challenges include uncertainty about the role of psychotherapy, high treatment costs and scalability issues, and the effects of hype and stigma on clinical uptake. The findings are based on interviews with 21 investigators at major academic psychedelic research centers across the United States.
Genetic variations in breast cancer survivors may influence how much they benefit from a mindfulness-based stress reduction program. This randomized trial assigned 185 survivors to a six-week MBSR(BC) program or usual care and measured depression, stress, fatigue, and cognitive symptoms at baseline, six weeks, and twelve weeks. Ten single-nucleotide polymorphisms from eight genes were analyzed. Three SNPs—rs4680 in COMT, rs6314 in HTR2A, and rs429358 in APOE—showed the strongest, though relatively weak, moderating effects on symptom improvement. Only one effect withstood correction for multiple comparisons. The authors propose that this work may help begin identifying genetic profiles to personalize cancer aftercare.
This paper reviews neuroscience and psychological studies on mindfulness meditation and proposes a translational prevention framework. The framework integrates prevention science with neuroscience, suggesting that mindfulness meditation improves psychological outcomes—such as behavioral, cognitive, and emotional functioning—by enhancing self-regulation through changes in underlying brain systems. The authors discuss clinical and practice implications and outline directions for future research.