Harvard Review of Psychiatry
September 8, 2026
Warwick M. Green, Sanket B. Raut, F. E. James et al.
There is a need for new effective treatment options for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as many people with PTSD do not fully recover despite current treatments. 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy (MDMA-AT) is emerging as a new treatment option. We assessed the current body of MDMA-AT evidence for effectiveness in treating PTSD, associated impairments, and...
Harvard Review of Psychiatry
August 26, 2026
Yusra Ahmad, Wai Lun Alan Fung, Heba Khan et al.
OBJECTIVE: Muslim communities in North America face significant mental health challenges that are exacerbated by Islamophobia, social isolation, and spiritual incongruence. Spiritually adapted mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) tailored to Islamic principles have emerged as promising approaches. This scoping review explores how Islamic mindfulness practices are defined and implemented to...
Harvard Review of Psychiatry
March 1, 2022
Igor D. Bandeira, Daniel H Lins-Silva, Vitor Breseghello Cavenaghi et al.
35 citations
INTRODUCTION: First-line treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) includes exposure and response prevention behavioral therapy and serotonin reuptake inhibitors, particularly in combination. New and more effective treatments are needed, give that recent studies suggest that glutamatergic neurotransmission contributes to the pathophysiology of the disorder. In these circumstances,...
Harvard Review of Psychiatry
November 1, 2020
Zev Schuman-Olivier, Marcelo Trombka, David Lovas et al.
Abstract Initiating and maintaining behavior change is key to the prevention and treatment of most preventable chronic medical and psychiatric illnesses. The cultivation of mindfulness, involving acceptance and nonjudgment of present-moment experience, often results in transformative health behavior change. Neural systems involved in motivation and learning have an important role to play. A...
Harvard Review of Psychiatry
July 1, 2018
Johannes Graser, Ulrich Stangier
67 citations
OBJECTIVES: This article presents a brief overview of the empirical evidence of well-established mindfulness interventions and an in-depth review of less-established compassion-based interventions (CBIs) and loving-kindness meditation (LKM). Definitions, cognitive and physiological mechanisms, and methods of assessment are discussed. METHOD: A literature review using the databases Google...
Harvard Review of Psychiatry
February 21, 2018
Ioline D. Henter, Rafael Teixeira de Sousa, Carlos A. Zarate
94 citations
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: After participating in this activity, learners should be better able to evaluate the evidence supporting the antidepressant effects of glutamatergic modulators.Both preclinical and clinical studies have implicated glutamatergic system dysfunction in the pathophysiology of mood disorders such as bipolar depression and major depressive disorder. In particular, rapid reductions...
Harvard Review of Psychiatry
August 1, 2010
Carlos A. Zarate, Rodrigo Machado‐Vieira, Ioline D. Henter et al.
226 citations
Mood disorders such as bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder are common, chronic, and recurrent conditions affecting millions of individuals worldwide. Existing antidepressants and mood stabilizers used to treat these disorders are insufficient for many. Patients continue to have low remission rates, delayed onset of action, residual subsyndromal symptoms, and relapses. New therapeutic...
Harvard Review of Psychiatry
2004
Michael Miovic
This article outlines the philosophical background to spiritual psychology and selectively reviews Western and Eastern literature on the subject. The world views of theism, atheism, and agnosticism are defined and critiqued, and the boundaries of scientific knowledge discussed. The views of James, Jung, and Freud are reviewed, and the contributions of humanistic psychology noted. Contemporary...
Harvard Review of Psychiatry
2002
Alonso Montoya, Renée Sorrentino, Scott E Lukas et al.
102 citations
The recreational drug "ecstasy" (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA) is widely used by young people throughout the world. Experimental studies indicate that MDMA damages serotonergic neurons in animals and possibly in humans. Repeated use may induce long-term neurotoxic effects, with cognitive and behavioral implications. We reviewed both the preclinical and the clinical literature to...
Harvard Review of Psychiatry
Christopher W. T. Miller, Zofia Kozak
2 citations
As practitioners seek more personalized approaches, exploring how patients' environments, relationship templates, and mindsets factor into symptom burden can help broaden understanding of how psychotropic medications facilitate recovery. Despite increasing focus on medications to provide relief, there is an important and undeniable influence the therapeutic environment has on shaping outcomes,...
Harvard Review of Psychiatry
Jan Dirk Blom, Rosemarij J B Van Veen, Emma H C Van Rooijen et al.
Sexual hallucinations are little known, yet often extremely burdening, phenomena. In this systematic review, we summarize what is known about their phenomenology, prevalence, etiopathology, ensuing distress, and treatment options. Sexual hallucinations can be experienced as genital or orgasmic sensations, although other sensory modalities can also be involved. With the notable exception of...