Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences
2026
Eirini K. Argyri, Jules Evans
3 citations
Psychedelic substances have been increasingly recognised for their potential in treating various mental health conditions, yet they can also induce what we call ontologically challenging psychedelic experiences (OCPEs), a concept developed in our research to describe experiences that profoundly disrupt an individual's sense of self, reality, and existence. We present OCPEs not as a diagnostic...
Palliative & Supportive Care
April 22, 2025
Maria I Lapid, Sandeep R Pagali, Andrea L Randall et al.
9 citations
Psychological and existential distress is prevalent among patients with life-threatening cancer, significantly impacting their quality of life. Psilocybin-assisted therapy has shown promise in alleviating these symptoms. This systematic review aims to synthesize the evidence on the efficacy and safety of psilocybin in reducing cancer-related distress. We searched MEDLINE, APA PsycINFO, Cochrane...
General Hospital Psychiatry
2025
Yvan Beaussant, Elise C. Tarbi, Kabir Nigam et al.
3 citations
Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) shows promise for cancer-related depression, yet little research has examined how therapeutic context shapes patient experiences. While set (mindset) and setting (environment) are considered central to psychedelic treatment, empirical evidence on their role in PAT acceptability remains limited. This study explores factors influencing the acceptability of PAT...
Integrative Cancer Therapies
2025
Haley D M Schuman, Sofia Barkova, Raèf Mina et al.
2 citations
People living with cancer (PLWC) often face profound existential distress that is insufficiently addressed by conventional psychosocial supports. This qualitative study explored PLWC's attitudes, beliefs, and experiences regarding psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) as a novel approach to addressing psychosocial suffering, particularly existential distress. Fifteen participants with varying...
Pilot and Feasibility Studies
February 12, 2024
Alesha Wells, A P Suresh Muthukumaraswamy, Eva Morunga et al.
10 citations
An advanced cancer diagnosis can be associated with a significant profile of distress. Psychedelic compounds have shown clinically significant effects in the treatment of psychological distress in patients with advanced-stage cancer. Given the challenges of delivering timely and effective intervention in the advanced cancer context, it is possible that an alternative, more pragmatic, approach...
Palliative & Supportive Care
August 1, 2023
Xuepeng Jing, Nicholas Hoeh, David B Menkes
18 citations
People with terminal illnesses often experience psychological distress and associated disability. Recent clinical trial evidence has stimulated interest in the therapeutic use of psychedelics at end of life. Much uncertainty remains, however, mainly due to methodological difficulties that beset existing trials. We conducted a scoping review of pipeline clinical trials of psychedelic treatment...
Neuropharmacology
April 2, 2023
Farah Z Zia, Michael H. Baumann, Sean J Belouin et al.
28 citations
Chronic pain is a leading cause of disability, reduced productivity, healthcare seeking behavior, and a contributor to opioid overdose in the United States. For many people, pain can be satisfactorily managed by existing medicines and comprehensive psychosocial treatments. For others, available treatments are either ineffective or not acceptable, due to side effects and concerns about risks....
American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®
October 26, 2026
Amirhossein Rajabiun, S. M. Hossein Mousavi Nasab, Dariush Boostani
End-of-life dreams and visions (ELDVs) are meaningful subjective experiences commonly reported by dying patients. While prior research has shown their emotional and existential value, evidence from non-Western settings remains scarce. This study explored the lived experiences and meanings of ELDVs among Iranian patients with advanced cancer. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA),...
Medicine
October 23, 2026
Asefeh Shirdashtzadeh Kerdabadi, Zeinab Tavakol, Fereshteh Rasti Borujeni et al.
Background: Patients with a wide range of sexual disorders are vulnerable to negative sexual well-being due to complications from breast cancer treatment. This study aimed to investigate the impact of sexual mindfulness-based training on the sexual well-being of women with breast cancer. Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted in 2024 and involved a statistical population of women...
Philosophy Ethics and Humanities in Medicine
October 22, 2026
Silva Shehan, Udayangani Ramadasa, Saroj Jayasinghe
Advances in biomedical technology have transformed dying into a prolonged, technological process in which clinical attention can drift from the person to physiological parameters. This narrative review argues that phenomenology offers an essential ethical corrective by foregrounding the lived experience of dying and complementing procedural bioethics, with particular attention to South Asia,...