Rural-urban divide in risk perception of LSD: Implications for psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Background: Recent legislative initiatives in the United States have focused on the medical and legal status of psychedelics, prompting interest in understanding public perceptions of their risks. This study investigates rural-urban differences in the perception of LSD and cannabis risks using national survey data.

Methods: Data from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) between 2015 and 2021 were analyzed.

Practical considerations in the establishment of psychedelic research programs.

Rationale: There is increasing interest in establishing psychedelic research programs at academic medical centers. However, psychedelics are intensely psychoactive, carry considerable sociopolitical baggage, and most are Schedule I drugs, creating significant potential impediments to implementation. There is little formal guidance for investigators on navigating the complex on-the-ground obstacles associated with establishing psychedelic research programs.

Amid magic and menace: psychiatrists' attitudes to psilocybin therapy.

Objectives: Understanding variations in knowledge and attitudes of psychiatrists to psilocybin therapy is important for the collective discourse about the potential impact on clinical practice and public health in Ireland.

Methods: A 28-item questionnaire was designed based on previous studies and distributed to psychiatrists in Ireland via online mailing lists and at in-person academic events.

Results: 151 psychiatrists completed the questionnaire (73.

Effects of in vivo NRT sampling on smoking abstinence and NRT adherence: A randomized clinical trial.

Background: Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is an effective treatment but is associated with poor adherence during smoking cessation attempts. This study aimed to determine if In Vivo Sampling, an experiential intervention that includes sampling of NRT in-session, increases NRT adherence and smoking abstinence compared to standard smoking cessation behavioral counseling.

Methods: Eligible participants were under community corrections supervision and smoked five or more cigarettes per day for the past year.

Psilocybin-assisted therapy and HIV-related shame.

As a proposed mediator between stigma-related stressors and negative mental health outcomes, HIV-related shame has been predictive of increased rates of substance use and difficulties adhering to antiretroviral treatment among people with HIV. These downstream manifestations have ultimately impeded progress toward national goals to End the HIV Epidemic, in part due to limited success of conventional psychotherapies in addressing HIV-related shame. In a pilot clinical trial (N = 12), receipt of psilocybin-assisted group therapy was associated with a large pre-post decrease in HIV-related shame as measured by the HIV and Abuse Related Shame Inventory, with a median (IQR) change of - 5.

Impact of Nicotine Replacement Therapy Sampling on Cessation-Related Processes.

Objectives: Smoking prevalence remains high among low-income smokers. Understanding processes (eg, withdrawal, craving, motivation) in early smoking cessation is crucially important for designing effective interventions for this population.

Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a novel, in-session sampling intervention (ie, In Vivo) as compared with standard care behavioral smoking cessation counseling (SC) among community-dwelling low-income smokers (n = 83).

Psychedelic Microdosing among Young Adults from Southern California.

Despite common depictions in the media, there is little scientific evidence on microdosing psychedelic drugs. We assessed awareness, prevalence, and dosing practices of microdosing psychedelic drugs among young adults 18-22 years old from Southern California (2018-2019). We examined whether sociodemographic factors, personality traits, mental health, or other substance use behaviors were correlated with having ever microdosed.

Longitudinal associations between psychedelic use and psychotic symptoms in the United States and the United Kingdom.

It has long been speculated that psychedelic use could provoke the onset of psychosis, but there is little evidence to support this conjecture. Using a longitudinal research design with samples representative of the US and UK adult populations with regard to sex, age, and ethnicity (n = 9732), we investigated associations between psychedelic use and change in the number of psychotic symptoms during the two-month study period. In covariate-adjusted regression models, psychedelic use during the study period was not associated with a change in the number of psychotic symptoms unless it interacted with a personal or family history of bipolar disorder, in which case the number of symptoms increased, or with a personal (but not family) history of psychotic disorders, in which case the number of symptoms decreased.

Longitudinal associations between psychedelic use and unusual visual experiences in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Background: Whereas findings from case reports and cross-sectional studies suggest that naturalistic psychedelic use may be associated with unusual visual experiences that occur after the acute pharmacological effects have subsided, such findings need to be replicated in longitudinal studies to better understand potential cause-and-effect relationships.

Aims: To investigate longitudinal associations between naturalistic psychedelic use and unusual visual experiences.

Methods: Using a longitudinal observational research design with samples representative of the US and UK adult populations with regard to sex, age, and ethnicity ( = 9732), we investigated the relationship between psychedelic use during the 2-month study period and changes in past-week unusual visual experiences.

5-MeO-DMT: An atypical psychedelic with unique pharmacology, phenomenology & risk?

5-MeO-DMT is a tryptamine being developed as a potential antidepressant that may display a distinct therapeutic mechanism due to its unique pharmacology and subjective effects compared to typical psychedelics. In this article, we parallel the relatively distinct phenomenology and behavioral effects of the acute and post-acute effects of 5-MeO-DMT to those induced by epileptiform activity, particularly in instances within epileptogenic zones of the temporal lobes. This is done by reviewing aberrant 5-HT receptor functioning in epilepsy, noting that 5-MeO-DMT has notable 5-HT receptor agonist properties-and then comparing the acute behavioral and subjective effects induced by 5-MeO-DMT to those that occur in seizures.

IUPHAR-review: The integration of classic psychedelics into current substance use disorder treatment models.

Substance use disorders (SUDs) have an enormous impact on public health. With classic psychedelic-assisted therapies showing initial promise in treating multiple SUDs, it is possible that these treatments will become legally available options for patients with SUDs in the future. This article highlights how classic psychedelic-assisted therapies might be integrated into current clinical practice.

Psychedelic use and psychiatric risks.

Rationale: Research on psychedelics has recently shown promising results in the treatment of various psychiatric disorders, but relatively little remains known about the psychiatric risks associated with naturalistic use of psychedelics.

Objective: The objective of the current study was to investigate associations between naturalistic psychedelic use and psychiatric risks.

Methods: Using a sample representative of the US adult population with regard to sex, age, and ethnicity (N=2822), this study investigated associations between lifetime naturalistic psychedelic use, lifetime unusual visual experiences, and past 2-week psychotic symptoms.

Longitudinal associations between psychedelic use and meditation practices in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Background: Previous research has proposed that there may be potential synergies between psychedelic and meditation interventions, but there are still knowledge gaps that merit further investigation.

Methods: Using a longitudinal observational research design with samples representative of the US and UK adult population with regard to sex, age, and ethnicity ( = 9732), we investigated potential associations between self-reported psychedelic use and meditation practice.

Results: The follow-up survey was completed by 7667 respondents (79% retention rate), with 100 respondents reporting psychedelic use during the 2-month study period (1.

The relationship between chronic lung disease diagnosis and the susceptibility to e-cigarette use in adults: The mediation effects of psychosocial, cognitive influences, and the moderation effect of physiological factors.

Introduction: There is a paucity of studies on e-cigarette use among adults with chronic lung disease. In the present study, we aimed to assess whether psychosocial or cognitive factors elucidate the relationship between chronic lung disease (CLD) and susceptibility to e-cigarette use and whether the relationship between CLD and e-cigarette use is conditional on the presence of respiratory symptoms.

Methods: We recruited adults aged ≥18 years in Alabama with CLD from university medical clinics (n=140) and individuals without CLD (n=123 as a reference group).

Classic psychedelic use and current meditation practice.

Objectives: Previous research has investigated potential synergies between classic psychedelics and meditation practice, but relatively little remains known about the relationship between classic psychedelic experiences and engagement with meditation practice.The purpose of this study was to investigate associations between classic psychedelic experiences and engagement with two popular types of meditation: mindfulness meditation and loving-kindness or compassion meditation.

Methods: This retrospective, population-based observational study included 2,822 respondents aged 18 years or older in the United States.

Adapting psychedelic medicine for headache and chronic pain disorders.

Introduction: While the majority of current research and development surrounds depression, demoralization, and substance use disorders, there are numerous reports of psychedelics having beneficial effects in other branches of medicine, including for headache disorders and chronic pain.

Areas Covered: This perspective reviews conventional forms of treatment for headache and other chronic pain disorders and describes historical, recent, and ongoing investigations of the therapeutic effects of psychedelics in these disorders. The first two clinical trials of psilocybin in headache disorders and recent case reports of psilocybin mushroom self-administration in chronic pain patients are described.

A Qualitative Analysis of First-Hand Accounts of Diphenhydramine Misuse Available on YouTube.

Deliriants are the least studied class of hallucinogens and display noticeable subjective effects, including dysphoria, hallucinations, and substantial alterations in thought. High doses of diphenhydramine (DPH), an over-the-counter antihistamine medication, can produce deliriant effects due to secondary anticholinergic activity. We sought to characterize the subjective experiences produced by DPH misuse to better understand deliriants more broadly and the context under which DPH misuse occurs.

An Open-label Pilot Study of NicoBloc as a Novel Smoking Cessation Intervention.

Introduction: NicoBloc is a viscous fluid applied to the cigarette filter designed to block tar and nicotine. This novel and understudied smoking cessation device presents a nonpharmacological means for smokers to gradually reduce nicotine and tar content while continuing to smoke their preferred brand of cigarette. This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of NicoBloc as compared with nicotine replacement therapy (nicotine lozenge).

Examining Racial/Ethnic and Income Disparities on Tobacco Product Use Among US Adults Within Wave 5 of the PATH Study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the interactions between race/ethnicity and income across different types of tobacco products.

Methods: The prevalence of past 30-day use of cigarettes, traditional cigars, cigarillos, filtered little cigars, and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) among adults was examined by race/ethnicity and income levels based on wave 5 (2018-2019) data of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study.

Results: Multivariate analysis across race/ethnicity and income showed that, although non-Hispanic Blacks (NHBs) were significantly more than likely to smoke cigarettes than non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs) at low- and high-income levels, such disparity only applied to low-income Hispanics compared with low-income NHWs.

Altered states of leadership: mindfulness meditation, psychedelic use, and leadership development.

Background: Previous research suggests that mindfulness meditation and psychedelic substances show promise as mental health interventions, but relatively little remains known about their potential impact on leadership outcomes.

Aims: This study aimed to investigate if and how mindfulness meditation and psychedelic use may impact leadership among respondents with a management position as their primary role at work.

Methods: Using samples representative of the US and UK adult populations with regard to sex, age, and ethnicity, this study used quantitative and qualitative methods to examine if and how mindfulness meditation and psychedelic use may impact leadership.

Are psychedelic medicines the reset for chronic pain? Preliminary findings and research needs.

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.

Relationship Between Chronic Lung Disease Diagnosis and Susceptibility to E-Cigarette Use in Adults.

Background: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are known to cause adverse pulmonary effects, yet paradoxically, the prevalence of e-cigarette use has increased among individuals with chronic lung disease. We assessed the relationship between chronic lung disease and the susceptibility to e-cigarette use in adults and determined if specific behavioral, social, and environmental factors influence this relationship.

Methods: We enrolled adults age ≥ 18 y in Alabama with chronic lung disease from university medical clinics ( = 140) and individuals without chronic lung disease ( = 123, reference group) from January 2020-March 2021.