Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) constitutes a novel treatment paradigm in mental health care practice that is currently being evaluated for its clinical efficacy and safety. Insight into the attitudes of clinicians toward PAP remains crucial for its successful integration into mental health care. This cross-sectional survey explores the attitudes of Dutch mental health care...
The development of new drugs is a complex, expensive, and time-consuming process, often fraught with a high likelihood of failure. Amid these obstacles, drug repurposing, which identifies new therapeutic applications for already existing medications, offers a more economical and time-saving approach, particularly in the challenging field of neurological and psychiatric disorders. This narrative...
This study investigated subjective psychedelic experiences in the global LGBTQIA+ population. Using validated measures of acute psychedelic effects, psychological flexibility, gender and sexual identity attitudes, adverse experiences, and mental health, we examined self-reported changes in identity and mental health outcomes following psychedelic use. A total of 346 individuals completed the...
This paper explores the role of awe and transcendence in enhancing mental resilience from psychological, physiological, and sociocultural perspectives. Awe—elicited through nature, spirituality, art, and collective experiences— has been shown to foster adaptive coping, emotional flexibility, and post-traumatic growth. Psychologically, awe diminishes self-focus, promotes humility and gratitude,...
Currently, the most actively investigated rapidly acting antidepressants, anxiolytics and/or anti PTSD agents, include psychedelics e.g. psilocybin, LSD, N , N ‐dimethyltryptamine, ayahuasca; non‐hallucinogenic entactogens, e.g. MDMA; psychoplastogens which rapidly promote neuroplasticity, e.g. ibogaine, ketamine and esketamine; and other atypicals e.g. dextromorphan/bupropion, esmethadone....
Ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, has demonstrated rapid antidepressant effects at sub-anesthetic doses, making it a promising candidate for treatment-resistant mood disorders, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidality, and recently, eating disorders (EDs). However, its effects are transient, and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) has emerged as a method to...
Despite increasing interest in psychedelic-assisted therapies (PAT), there remains a critical gap in extending these treatments to marginalized and vulnerable populations, including Latinx immigrants. This underrepresentation in both research and clinical practice exacerbates disparities in mental health care access for racial and ethnic minorities, who already face systemic barriers. The...
This thesis critiques the war on drugs for disproportionately targeting minority communities and prioritizing systemic exploitation over public health. It examines the flawed, politically influenced DEA drug scheduling process, which neglects evidence of the medical benefits of substances like cannabis, psilocybin, LSD, DMT, and MDMA. This thesis gives a brief history of the evolution of US...
Neurological and psychiatric disorders are considered one of the major problems of today's societies and cause many individual and social problems. Current treatments are effective, but due to their burdens, there is always an effort to introduce novel treatments. Psychedelics, a diverse group of psychoactive compounds, including LSD, psilocybin, DMT, MDMA, and ketamine, have shown potential in...
BJPsych OpenJune 1, 2025Emeka Onochie, Joseph Verghese
Aims: Background: Depersonalization-derealization disorder (DPDR), classified under ICD–11 code 6B66, involves persistent or recurrent experiences of depersonalization, derealization, or both. Depersonalization refers to a sense of detachment from one’s thoughts, emotions, or body, whereas derealization involves perceiving the external world as unreal or distorted. These symptoms cause...