Journal of Psychiatric Research - The Consciousness Library

Nightmare disorder and depression: Exploring a neglected clinical association.

Journal of Psychiatric Research August 1, 2026 J. Maruani, E. Clerici, Michel Lejoyeux et al.

Nightmares are overrepresented in psychiatric disorders and are strongly associated with suicidality, especially in Major Depressive Episode (MDE). This study had two main objectives: (1) to determine an optimal diagnostic cutoff for the Nightmare Severity Index (NSI) to identify Nightmare Disorder (ND), and (2) to compare the clinical profiles of MDE patients with ND (MDE-ND) and without ND...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2026.08.021

Dissociation and Antidepressant Response to Subcutaneous Esketamine: A Clinical Study

Journal of Psychiatric Research July 1, 2026 K S de Freitas Goncalves, Vagner Deuel O de Tavares, Fernanda Palhano-Fontes et al.

ABSTRACT: Introduction Ketamine and esketamine have reemerged as promising interventions for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), yet debate persists regarding the clinical relevance of acute dissociative experiences. This secondary exploratory analysis examined the relationship between dissociative experiences induced by subcutaneous esketamine and antidepressant response in patients with...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2026.07.016 Major depressive disorder Treatment-resistant depression Depersonalization Beck depression inventory +16

QUALITY OF LIFE AND PRODUCTIVITY AMONG ESKETAMINE RESPONDERS IN A REAL-WORLD STUDY IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

Journal of Psychiatric Research July 1, 2026 Malcolm Hopwood, David Codyre, David Barton et al.

Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is associated with severe depression, low quality of life (QoL) and reduced work productivity, which may increase risk of relapse, suicide and suboptimal response to treatment. Esketamine nasal spray plus a newly-initiated oral antidepressant (esketamine+OAD) has been shown to improve depression symptoms, QoL and productivity in patients with TRD; however...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2026.07.011 Depression economics Mental health Productivity Rating scale +6

Psychedelics and autism spectrum disorder: Mechanistic insights, translational evidence and ethical challenges

Journal of Psychiatric Research June 23, 2026 Júlio César Claudino Dos Santos, Sofia Januário Bolan, Guilherme Lodetti da Silva et al.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction, restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, and sensory processing alterations, frequently accompanied by anxiety, emotional dysregulation, and other psychiatric comorbidities. Despite advances in behavioral and pharmacological...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2026.06.035 Autism spectrum disorder Medline Spectrum functional analysis Poison control +3

Predicting changes in depressive symptomatology following oral esketamine treatment in treatment-resistant depression: A machine-learning approach.

Journal of Psychiatric Research June 12, 2026 Juliana Lima Constantino, Tobias Stephan Freimann, Jens H van Dalfsen et al.

Oral esketamine is a potentially effective and well-tolerated treatment for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). However, around 50% of TRD individuals treated with oral esketamine do not achieve response, and this variation in response may be accounted for by interindividual differences between patients. Efforts to develop effective and personalized depression treatment strategies are...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2026.06.013 Full text Esketamine Major depressive disorder Treatment-resistant depression Antidepressants +1

Priorities for psychedelic research among people who use psychedelics.

Journal of Psychiatric Research June 2, 2026 Daniel J. Kruger, Audrey Czerew, Leigh Farquhar et al.

Most academic psychedelic research is clinically oriented, with industry research primarily focusing on the medicalization of these substances. Given the rapid policy changes and the surge in interest among researchers and the public, it is imperative to assess and document the research priorities of the broader psychedelic community. This study aimed to identify these priorities through an...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2026.06.007 Full text Adverse experiences Harm reduction Psychedelics Therapy

Effectiveness and factors associated with esketamine response during the 4-week induction period for treatment-resistant depression: post-hoc analysis of the real-world ESKALE study.

Journal of Psychiatric Research June 1, 2026 Ludovic Samalin, Maud Rothärmel, Lila Mekaoui et al.

In patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD), the efficacy and tolerance of intranasal esketamine (ESK) spray, alone or combined with oral antidepressants, has been supported by clinical trials and observational studies. The French real-world ESKALE study assessed the benefit of ESK in 157 patients with TRD. In this post-hoc analysis of the ESKALE study we aimed to describe the...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2026.03.011 Full text Esketamine Treatment-resistant depression Dissociation Efficacy +1

The effect of glutamatergic modulators on sleep behavior and architecture in depressive disorders: A systematic review.

Journal of Psychiatric Research June 1, 2026 Kyle Valentino, Hana Ballum, William Cheung et al.

Approximately 80% of individuals diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) report symptoms of insomnia. Glutamatergic modulators, such as ketamine, are reported to be effective for the treatment of depressive symptomatology in adults with MDD. Disrupted glutamate homeostasis is linked to poor sleep quality and sleep disorders. Herein, we sought to systematically determine the effect of...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2026.02.011 Full text Depression Early morning awakening Gamma-aminobutyric acid gaba Glutamate +2

Effects of MBSR and escitalopram on self-compassion in anxiety disorders.

Journal of Psychiatric Research June 1, 2026 Amanda W Baker, Samantha R Philip, Caroline H Armstrong et al.

Self-compassion is recognized as important for psychological well-being and has been linked to reduced anxiety levels. Mindfulness-based interventions, such as the 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program (MBSR), have shown promise in treating anxiety disorders, but no studies to date have compared the effects of MBSR to the gold-standard medication treatment (escitalopram) on...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2026.02.010 Full text Anxiety Meditation Mindfulness Medication +1

The impact of mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy on individuals with autism spectrum disorder and their caregivers: A systematic review.

Journal of Psychiatric Research January 29, 2026 Dandan Luo, Wenjun Dang, Jie Luo et al.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their caregivers often face challenges such as emotional distress and stress management, which severely impact their quality of life. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) holds potential value in emotional regulation; however, there is a lack of systematic evaluation targeting the ASD population, particularly caregivers. This systematic...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2026.01.052 Full text Anxiety Depression Autism spectrum disorder Caregivers +1

Reality monitoring across disorders of reality: Systematic and narrative reviews of dissociation and psychosis

Journal of Psychiatric Research January 19, 2026 Gwynnevere Suter, Ian Apperly, L. Zhang et al. 1 citation

Reality monitoring is the ability to remember whether information was internally- or externally-generated and is often impaired in clinical populations. Though an altered sense of reality characterizes both dissociation and psychosis, no review has compared reality monitoring between them. This paper compares these fields to inform the relation between dissociation and psychosis and the role of...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2026.01.021 Reality testing Dissociation chemistry Psychosis Cognition +7

Treating posttraumatic nightmares in trauma-affected refugees: An investigation of outcome predictors of imagery rehearsal therapy.

Journal of Psychiatric Research 2026 Ola Hornmoen, Jessica Carlsson, Jesper Dammeyer et al.

A recent randomized controlled trial (RCT) did not find an effect of imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT) for nightmares as an add-on to treatment as usual in a sample of trauma-affected refugees. However, certain factors may have accounted for substantial variations in treatment outcomes. This study aimed to test whether symptom severity, cognitive functioning, use of an interpreter, motivation for...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.10.049 Full text Nightmare-focused therapy Nightmares Psychotherapy Refugees +1

MDMA-assisted therapy for major depressive disorder: A seven-month follow-up proof of principle trial

Journal of Psychiatric Research November 27, 2025 Tor-Morten Kvam, Ivar W Goksøyr, Joanna Róg et al. 3 citations

BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of global disability, and current treatments often fail to provide sustained effectiveness. MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) is a promising treatment for MDD. However, the long-term effects are not known. OBJECTIVES: To examine the long-term effects of MDMA-AT for MDD. METHODS: Twelve participants with MDD and an ongoing moderate to...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.11.030 Major depressive disorder Depression economics Proof of concept Depressive symptoms +4

Exploring the potential psychological predictors associated with changes in depression, anxiety, and well-being following naturalistic psychedelic use.

Journal of Psychiatric Research November 1, 2025 Felipe Herrmann, Grant Jones, Daniel M Low et al.

Although research shows that psychedelic use may lead to improvement in mental health and well-being, the underlying changes in psychological predictors associated with these improvements remain unclear. 161 participants were recruited in a prospective online survey assessing naturalistic psychedelic use. We used lasso regression to assess how 19 distinct changes in psychological variables...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.09.007 Full text Anxiety Depression Mindfulness Psychedelics +20

Triple network alteration predicts dissociative symptoms following activation of the attachment system: Evidence from an EEG connectivity study.

Journal of Psychiatric Research November 1, 2025 Giuseppe A Carbone, Benedetto Farina, Aurelia Lo Presti et al.

Dissociation is a psychological response to stress that impairs mental integration, identity, and consciousness and manifests itself in the form of detachment and compartmentalization. Such symptoms are common in psychiatric disorders and reflect altered brain connectivity. In this study, EEG connectivity at rest, before and after activation of the attachment system, was analysed in relation to...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.10.016 Full text Attachment Compartmentalization Detachment Dissociation +2

The effect of the Apollo Neuro device on anxiety among participants who underwent ketamine assisted therapy.

Journal of Psychiatric Research November 1, 2025 Vivian W. L. Tsang, Brendan Tao, Raimey Olthuis et al.

The Apollo wearable device (wrist or ankle) is an investigational device which provides touch therapy with silent vibrations that may help individuals reduce the symptoms of stress such as difficulty breathing, sleeping or focusing on tasks. Positive feedback from a mental health treatment program that uses ketamine-assisted therapy as a treatment adjunct inspired researchers to assess the...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.09.032 Full text Anxiety reduction Apollo neuro device Gad-7 Ketamine-assisted therapy +1

The effects of ketamine and esketamine on functional outcomes in major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression: A systematic review

Journal of Psychiatric Research October 30, 2025 Isabella S Ji, Morgan C H Cheng, Kayla M Teopiz et al. 2 citations

INTRODUCTION: Functional impairment is commonly reported amongst individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) or treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Extant evidence suggests that ketamine and esketamine, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists and glutamatergic modulators, have shown efficacy in treating MDD/TRD. While symptom reduction remains central to treatment, many...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.10.056 Major depressive disorder Ketamine Treatment-resistant depression Depression economics +5

Both online and face-to-face mindfulness meditation can change cortical structure in internet gaming disorder.

Journal of Psychiatric Research October 1, 2025 Haohao Dong, Huabin Wang, Xuefeng Xu et al.

Mindfulness meditation (MM) has been shown to effectively alleviate symptoms of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and improve neural functioning. However, it remains unclear whether both online and face-to-face MM can enhance cortical structure, a stable and reliable neural biomarker. This study included 100 IGD patients randomly assigned to three groups: face-to-face MM (31 participants), online...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.08.005 Full text Cortical morphology Internet gaming disorder Mindfulness meditation Structural covariance

Is ketamine safe for individuals in higher level of care treatment for eating disorders? Analysis of safety of subanesthetic ketamine in 104 patients.

Journal of Psychiatric Research August 1, 2025 Elizabeth Wassenaar, Dan V. Blalock, Alan Duffy et al. 4 citations

Eating disorders are among the most challenging and fatal mental illnesses and, due to the complication of medical instability caused by malnutrition or other disordered eating behaviors, pose unique treatment challenges for patients with co-occurring depression and mood disorders. Randomized control trials have demonstrated "rapid and robust antidepressant effects" of generic ketamine in...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.055 Full text Mental health research Antidepressive agents Malnutrition Mood disorders +4

Therapeutic benefit versus epistemic risk: Need for empirical research in psychedelic epistemology.

Journal of Psychiatric Research August 1, 2025 Lucas F Borkel, Jaime Rojas-Hernández, Domingo J Quintana-Hernández et al. 4 citations

This paper highlights the ethical and epistemic challenges posed by psychedelic therapy and vindicates the importance of epistemology in the clinical and psychotherapeutic setting. Despite their relative physiological and psychological safety, these substances can induce changes in the beliefs of those who use them, such as paranormal beliefs. To explain the changes in beliefs, we introduced...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.039 Full text Psychedelic therapy Belief systems Mental health treatment Epistemology +1

Drug-related suicidal ideation in the K-12 population: a real-world pharmacovigilance study of the FDA adverse event reporting system (FAERS) database.

Journal of Psychiatric Research August 1, 2025 Yaxin Ju, Yuan Liu, Li Tan et al. 3 citations

The K-12 population refers to individuals, primarily aged 6-17, from kindergarten through 12th grade. Drug-related suicidal ideation (SI) in the K-12 population is a major concern. This study aims to identify medications linked to increased SI risk in the K-12 population using the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database. We extracted cases of SI in individuals aged 6-17 years where...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.029 Full text Adverse event Faers Real-world Suicidal ideation +6

Partial rescue of schizophrenia-related phenotypes in young adult Sp4 hypomorphic mice.

Journal of Psychiatric Research July 1, 2025 Joris Kamp, Megan E Sikkink, Mahalah R Buell et al.

The Schizophrenia Exome Sequencing Meta-Analysis (SCHEMA) Consortium found that truncation of one copy of the SP4 gene has an odds ratio of 9.37 (3.38-29.7) for schizophrenia (SCZ). Human SP4 gene is also one of the 69 schizophrenia-risk genes prioritized by parallel genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and one of the two schizophrenia-risk genes shared between the SCHEMA and the GWAS,...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.002 Full text Ketamine Adeno-associated virus Memory Mouse model +10

Alexithymia and psychopathological dimensions in First-Episode Psychosis: Comparative patterns in natural cannabis versus synthetic cannabinoid users

Journal of Psychiatric Research June 19, 2025 Valerio Ricci, Ilenia di Muzio, Mancusi Gianluca et al. 2 citations

AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the differences in psychotic symptomatology, dissociative symptoms, alexithymia, and aberrant salience among three groups: non-cannabis users (NU), natural cannabis users (NC), and synthetic cannabinoid users (SCs). The study also explored the patterns of alexithymia and its associations with other psychopathological dimensions in these populations....

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.06.025 Cannabidiol Alexithymia Psychopathology Psychosis +3

Adverse reactions among psychedelic users: Norwegian validation of the Challenging Experience Questionnaire

Journal of Psychiatric Research May 26, 2025 Bjørn Holmøy, Tor-Morten Kvam, Kristoffer Andreas Aamodt Andersen et al. 3 citations

Psychedelic drugs, known for their potent psychoactive effects, have gained attention for their potential therapeutic benefits in treating mental disorders. However, distressing experiences induced by psychedelics can lead to adverse long-term effects. To better assess these experiences, we aimed to provide a Norwegian translation and psychometric validation of the Challenging Experience...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.062 Norwegian Clinical psychology

Increased sensitivity to psychomotor effects of ketamine enantiomers in the Wistar-Kyoto depression model.

Journal of Psychiatric Research April 1, 2025 Kristian Elersič, Anamarija Banjac, Marko Živin et al. 3 citations

Ketamine, a fast-acting antidepressant, is a racemic mixture, composed of equal amounts of R- and S-ketamine. Preclinical studies are comparing them to better understand their role in therapeutic and undesirable effects. An important research gap is that studies do not use long clinically relevant protocols to compare the desired and undesired effects of ketamine enantiomers in modeled and...

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.061 Full text Depressive disorder Depression mood disorder Clinical depression Ketamine ketalar +10

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