In Canada, the use of both prescription medications and psychedelics has become increasingly prevalent. As of 2022, approximately 16.5% of Canadians—about 6.3 million individuals—were prescribed at least one antidepressant, with fluoxetine remaining one of the most commonly used options (IQVIA, 2023). Benzodiazepine use, including drugs like alprazolam, ranges between 5% to 10% nationwide, with...
MDMA-assisted psychotherapy has emerged as a promising treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), particularly in individuals unresponsive to conventional interventions such as SSRIs and trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy. As recent clinical trials report durable symptom remission, ongoing debate surrounds the mechanisms underlying its therapeutic effects. This review...
People with cancer often experience anxiety and depression following a diagnosis and can face barriers to accessing treatment for their mental health. An increasing number of patients are considering alternative approaches to managing their mental health symptoms, such as the psychedelic, psilocybin. A growing number of clinical trials show significant and enduring improvements in mood and...
Open MindFebruary 13, 2026John Moriarty, Alan Robert Bowman, Alison Pocock
preprint
Psychedelics are psychoactive substances that alter one's perception, cognition and emotion, as well as one's sense of time, place and self (Nutt, 2023, p.19). Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) involves the carefully controlled administration of a psychedelic substance "alongside structured psychological support, including preparation, guidance during the psychedelic session, and post-session...
Abstract Background and aims Despite growing popularity and increasing legal access, psychedelic therapy remains financially inaccessible to many. This study was designed to test the feasibility of conducting group psilocybin therapy in low-income adults with depression in Oregon's regulated psilocybin program. Methods An open label, uncontrolled design was used. After a medical screening...
Recent research has highlighted the potential of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and other trauma-related psychiatric conditions. However, less is known about the effects of MDMA use on psychological well-being in populations with trauma histories outside of clinical contexts. In the present study, we assessed...
Functional disorders, characterised by symptoms unexplained by organic disease, impose a significant burden on individuals and healthcare systems. Existing treatments are limited in efficacy, with no effective pharmacotherapies. There is growing evidence supporting the treatment potential of psychedelics in neuropsychiatric conditions, including several distinct functional disorders. This...
Psychedelic compounds, particularly psilocybin, have demonstrated remarkable therapeutic potential for mental health disorders through mechanisms involving structural neural plasticity. This comprehensive review examines recent breakthrough research revealing how psilocybin triggers activity-dependent rewiring of large-scale cortical networks. Using monosynaptic rabies viral tracing,...
Ketamine is known to be a rapid-acting antidepressant, but there is limited evidence regarding which types of patients are best-suited to this treatment and whether adjunctive psychotherapy improves outcomes. In a sample of 224 patients who received five ketamine infusions at a private clinic, this study uses Bayesian mixed modeling to examine the effects of early life stress (measured with the...
There is a growing body of literature on the therapeutic applications of psychedelics, particularly within Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy (PAP). PAP is strongly shaped by set and setting, both of which are influenced by cultural factors. To explore Chinese American mental health providers’ attitudes toward psychedelics and the effect of educational training, we conducted an online survey...