Socioeconomic status (SES) substantially influences mental health outcomes and treatment access, yet its reporting in psychedelic-assisted therapy trials remains underexplored. Here we systematically reviewed 98 articles (49 primary trials and 49 secondary analyses) published between 2006 and 2024 examining classic psychedelics and MDMA for mental health conditions. Only 12% of primary trials...
The surge of new psychoactive substances (NPS) poses significant public health challenges due to their unregulated status and diverse effects. However, existing in vivo models for evaluating their activities are limited. To address this gap, this study utilizes the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) to evaluate the activity of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) and their analogs....
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are part of the normal response to trauma. Most trauma survivors will recover over time without intervention, but a significant minority will develop chronic PTSD, which is unlikely to remit without intervention. Currently, only two medications, sertraline and paroxetine, are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat PTSD, and the...
Substance Use & MisuseMay 1, 2025Corinne L Chandler, Mance E Buttram, Matthew S Ellis1 citation
Data show that recreational ketamine use appears to be increasing. This study aimed to understand how ketamine fits into broader polysubstance use in individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD). Survey data were collected from a sample of treatment-seeking individuals with OUD in March 2022. Of 301 respondents, 28.6% reported lifetime ketamine use. Ketamine use was more frequently reported among...
While chemsex has been studied in several parts of the world, it has been an under-studied area in India. Anecdotally, use of substances in the context of sexual encounters has been increasing in India, especially in the population of men having sex with men. In the background of limited literature in India, this online survey aimed to assess facets related to chemsex in the country. This...
This chapter explores the key differences between entheogens and synthetic psychedelics, focusing on their origins, cultural contexts, and effects on consciousness. Entheogens are naturally occurring substances, such as psilocybin, ayahuasca, and peyote, traditionally used by Indigenous cultures for spiritual and healing purposes. These substances are often consumed in ceremonial settings with...
New psychoactive substances (NPS) are designed to evade legal regulation while mimicking the effects of classic illicit drugs such as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). This category includes phenethylamine derivatives, such as the psychedelic 2C and NBOMe drugs. Given the lack of data regarding the toxicological profile of these substances, the goal of this study was to evaluate the...
Psychedelic substances have recently emerged as a promising method for treating mental health conditions, despite a history of stigmatization and restriction in use. The present review synthesizes existing literature on the therapeutic potential of psychedelics such as LSD, psilocybin, and MDMA in addressing specific mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and addiction. On reviewing...
Objective: Prior research has found an association between psychedelic use and reduced stigma attached to mental illness. However, whether psychedelics alleviate stigma-related distress remains unclear. Since stigma impacts different groups uniquely, any moderating effect of psychedelics on stigma-related distress is likely to vary across subpopulations. This study addresses two main questions:...
Background: "Chemsex" involves the intake of a range of drugs (e.g., synthetic cathinones, gamma-hydroxybutyric acid/gamma-butyrolactone (GHB/GBL), ketamine, methamphetamine, "poppers", type V phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors, MDMA/ecstasy, cocaine, cannabis, and occasionally a few other molecules as well, to enhance and prolong sexual experiences. This paper aims to provide an overview of...