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...
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Although psychedelics were banned from medical research for about fifty years, recent early-phase studies indicate they may offer unique therapeutic benefits for various mental health and substance use disorders. When effective, psychedelic experiences often involve phenomena not typically observed in other medical or psychiatric interventions, such as a diminished sense of self-importance,...
Abstract Background The use of psychedelics is currently increasing in the United States. Awareness of clinical trials investigating the therapeutic applications of psychedelics may result in a record number of people who use psychedelics for the first-time. This study aimed to develop a harm-reduction resource to facilitate safe and successful psychedelic experiences outside of regulated...
This project investigates the acute effects of psilocybin on probabilistic reinforcement learning in healthy adults. Using a double blind, randomized, within-subject, placebo-controlled design, we will analyze behavioral data and Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) from EEG recordings to understand how psychedelics modulate neural mechanisms of reward processing and decision-making.
Although each PAP model differs, both may have clinical relevance in depression treatment. Future work should explore the standardized reporting of psychological interventions in PAP and comparative study designs to better evaluate non-specific and specific models and inform treatment guidelines.
Open Science Framework2025Mackenzie Hancock, Shambhu Prasad Adhikari, Nicole Getz
preprint
This scoping review examines the emerging evidence for psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAP) in treating trauma-related disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPCS), with specific implications for intimate partner violence (IPV)-related brain injury and PTSD. Guided by PRISMA-ScR methodology, we systematically searched Medline,...
Abstract Objectives Psychospiritual distress affects many patients with cancer, contributing to diminished quality of life, decreased survival and a desire for hastened death. The current standard of care, which primarily consists of antidepressants and psychotherapy, has demonstrated only modest benefits. Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) has shown evidence of rapid, durable, and significant...
This rapid review aims to synthesise recommendations and statements from international clinical guidelines, consensus statements, and position statements regarding the medical use of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) in adults living with depression.
Cellular aging, driven by oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation, is exacerbated by a high-glucose and high-lipid (HGHL) diet, leading to collagen degradation and skin aging. Psilocybin, a naturally occurring compound, has shown potential in reducing symptoms of aging. This study explores the protective effects of psilocybin on BJ-5ta fibroblasts exposed to HGHL, focusing...
Psilocybin containing mushrooms have been utilized for ceremonial, medicinal, and spiritual purposes for millennia. Recently there has been a surge of scientific interest in the therapeutic potential and mechanistic understanding of serotonergic psychedelics, including psilocybin. Psilocybin is classified as a serotonergic psychedelic because the non-ordinary state of consciousness that it...
Abstract Psychedelic compounds significantly reshape conscious perception, yet the implications of these alterations for complex visual-guided behaviors remain poorly understood. We investigated how psilocybin modulates visual salience processing during natural scene perception. Twenty-three participants completed eye-tracking tasks under self-blinded low and high doses of psilocybin, in a...
2025Henrique Tofoli Vieira Machado, Geovana Mendes de Seixas, L. Silva et al.
Introduction: In recent years, psilocybin has been explored as an alternative therapy for neurological and psychiatric disorders, such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance dependence. Studies suggest that when administered under professional supervision, psilocybin can offer relief for patients with treatment-resistant disorders. Objective: The aim of...
Abstract Fifty-one cancer patients with symptoms of depression and anxiety were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, crossover trial using low-dose psilocybin (placebo) and high-dose psilocybin (intervention group) combined with psychotherapy with 5 weeks between dosing sessions and at 6-month follow-up. Participants in the intervention group had large decreases in clinician- and self-rated...
Psilocybin-assisted therapies (PAT) have been used to treat several issues including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), major depressive disorder (MDD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), smoking addiction, and anxiety (Grob et al., 2011; Johnson et al., 2014; Kisely et a., 2022; Moreno et al., 2006). If more positive benefits of psilocybin are discovered, psilocybin could become a more...
Abstract The use of mushrooms in health-promoting foods and substances is widely studied. There are compelling data to indicate that polysaccharides and phenolic compounds derived from mushroom sources have long-lasting metabolic effects when ingested. More recently, attention has returned to the traditional practices of using psychotropic bioactive ingredients obtained from mushrooms for the...
Physical touch is often included as a supportive or therapeutic tool in psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT), involving instrumental forms of physical contact, supportive touch and somatic techniques. However, participants under the influence of psychedelics have reduced capacity to provide consent, are more suggestible and may experience and interpret therapeutic touch in ways they did not...
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...
Abstract Psychedelic treatment with psilocybin is receiving increased attention following clinical trials showing it may help treat end-of-life anxiety, depression, and several other conditions. Despite this, physicians may be reluctant to prescribe psilocybin and carry out psilocybin treatment because of the stigma surrounding psychedelics and the potential for medical malpractice liability....
PolDrugs is a biennial epidemiological study aimed at analyzing patterns of mostly illicit psychoactive substance use in Poland in the context of psychiatry and harm reduction. This survey was held for the third time, and its results were compared to the last two editions. The survey was conducted as an online survey with 37 closed-ended single-choice questions and 3 multiple-choice questions....