Journal of psychoactive drugs最新文献

For some time now, there has been an increased interest in psychedelics among scientists and mental health experts. Given that experts introduce therapy and advise patients, it is important to know their views. Therefore, the aim of our research was to examine and compare the attitudes of psychiatrists and psychologists toward psychedelics. We were interested in how they are formed and what is the role of personality in that process. We included 218 respondents, of which 92 were psychiatrists and 126 were psychologists. Attitudes toward psychedelics were examined using the Attitudes on Psychedelics Questionnaire. We used the Big Five Inventory to examine personality traits. On the Legal Use of Psychedelics subscale, it was shown that psychiatrists have more negative attitudes toward psychedelics (p = .033). Higher Openness (β = 0.184, p < .001) and lower Conscientiousness (β = -0.144, p = .009) contribute to positive attitudes toward psychedelics, as well as previous lifetime experience with psychedelics (β = 0.411, p < .001) and younger age (β = -0.278, p < .001). In conclusion, we can say that mental health professionals are open but also wary of psychedelics. Openness motivates them to learn. For this reason, additional education could have an impact on the attitudes of psychiatrists and psychologists and prepare them for the practical use of psychedelics.

Recent studies suggest psychedelic use may be associated with changes in a variety of beliefs or belief-like states, including increased 1) mind perception, 2) non-naturalistic beliefs, and 3) Atheist-Believer status (e.g. believer, agnostic, or nonbeliever). We conducted a prospective longitudinal study among participants (N = 657) who planned to have a psilocybin experience outside a laboratory setting. We asked participants about their beliefs concerning mind perception of various entities, specific metaphysical positions, and Atheist-Believer status both before (and after their experience. Replicating previous findings, we observed increases in mind perception across a variety of living and non-living targets (e.g. plants, rocks). However, we found little to no change in metaphysical beliefs (e.g. dualism) or Atheist-Believer status. Taken together, these findings contrast with those from cross-sectional studies that psilocybin experiences result in changes to Atheist-Believer status and non-naturalistic beliefs but support the relevance of mind perception and mentalization.

Substance use is a multifaceted disorder of the whole person that is manifested on three levels: intrapersonal, interpersonal, and spiritual. Previous research has demonstrated that self-forgiveness and gratitude help build personal and social resources and reinforce the process of recovery from substance use disorders. The aims of the present narrative review article were to (a) explore self-forgiveness and gratitude as psychological mechanisms of behavioral change in recovery through the lens of positive criminology and recovery capital approach, (b) review the practice of self-forgiveness and gratitude in the Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) programs, and (c) present a conceptual model of self-forgiveness and gratitude in long-term recovery. Self-forgiveness and gratitude have been described as positive emotions and prosocial, empathy-based moral virtues that enhance well-being and health by reinforcing the establishment and maintenance of long-lasting positive relationships with self, others, and spirituality. This effect may occur through different levels and psychological mechanisms. This article contributes to the field by presenting the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and spiritual benefits associated with self-forgiveness and gratitude interventions that can initiate and sustain long-term recovery.

Canada legalized the use of non-medical cannabis in 2018. This study examines youth and young adults' knowledge and perceptions of harms, benefits, and education around cannabis use since legalization. An online survey was completed by a convenience sample of 1,759 individuals aged 12-25 years living in Manitoba, Canada. Most participants (n = 1,525, 86.7%) reported receiving education on the potential effects/harms related to cannabis; the most common topics included driving and cannabis use (79.9%), the mental harms of cannabis (67.4%), and addiction and dependency (66.3%). Youth who reported using cannabis more than once (n = 1,203) were more knowledgeable about the effects of cannabis than youth who never used cannabis or used cannabis once (n = 580; mean score: 6.6 versus 5.7 out of 8, respectively; p < .001). Vaping cannabis oil was perceived as the most harmful cannabis product among all participants. Among participants with experience using cannabis, the most frequently reported benefits were relaxation, improved sleep, and enhanced enjoyment of food/music. Half of the participants reported ever being in a car with someone driving high, of which, 40% of these participants reported doing so in the last 30 days. Future tailored education is needed to address knowledge related to cannabis use among youth and young adults who use and do not use cannabis.

Opioid misuse continues to cause significant harm. To investigate current research, we conducted a scoping literature review of disease spread models of opioid misuse from January 2000 to December 2022. In total, 85 studies were identified and examined for the opioids modeled, model type, data sources used and model calibration and validation. Most of the studies (58%, 49) only modeled heroin; the next largest categories were prescription opioids and unspecified opioids which accounted for 9% (8) each. Most models were theoretical compartmental models (57) or applied compartmental models (21). Previously published research was the most used data source (38), and a majority of the model validation involved the researchers setting initial conditions to verify theoretical results (30). To represent typical opioid use more accurately, multiple opioids need to be incorporated into the disease spread models, and applying different modeling techniques may allow other insights into opioid misuse spread.

Psychedelic research has traditionally focused on controlled, clinical settings to evaluate the therapeutic potential of substances such as psilocybin. However, in recent years, there has been growing interest in naturalistic research, which explores psychedelic use in real-world settings. This review aims to critically analyze trends in naturalistic psychedelic research, focusing on sample demographics and the diversity of contextual factors across different settings. A systematic search in PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science was conducted, including studies that involved the use of classic psychedelics in real-world settings. Two reviewers independently screened articles and extracted data on both sample and setting characteristics. A total of 103 studies were included, most of which employed a cross-sectional survey-based design (n = 54), with sample characteristics being widely reported, albeit with considerable variability across studies. Ayahuasca was the most frequently studied substance (66%), and ceremonial settings were the most commonly reported (35.9%). While sample characteristics were widely reported, there was significant variability. Specific contextual components, such as music, were often underreported, with longitudinal studies providing the most comprehensive details. This review highlights the need for systematic reporting standards in naturalistic psychedelic research to maximize its complementary value alongside clinical trials.

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 professionals toward PAP, specifically focusing on 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder and psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for major depressive disorder. The study included 198 clinicians who completed a 40-item online survey, distributed between April and May 2022. The study examined clinicians' attitudes toward PAP, the relation between these attitudes and several demographic variables, and clinicians' perceived implementation barriers. Respondents generally exhibited positive attitudes toward PAP, which in turn were related to previous use of either MDMA or psilocybin. Participants believed that psychiatrists and licensed psychologists were the ideal professionals to administer PAP, expressed concerns about their ability to establish a connection with patients during psychedelic states of consciousness, and preferred administering PAP in specialized facilities within hospital settings. This study provides valuable insights into the implementation of PAP and helps informing educational and training programs for clinicians, as well as integrating PAP into mental health care.

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 survey. The sample was predominantly White (78.6%) with a mean age of 31.7 years. Over half were assigned female at birth (57.8%), and participants identified across diverse gender categories: women (28.9%), genderqueer (19.5%), nonbinary (17.6%), and men (15.9%). Participants reported lifetime use of classical psychedelics (M = 22.8) and MDMA (M = 11.3). Most (77.2%) endorsed the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for gender dysphoria, and 65.3% reported changes in gender identity attitudes post-experience. Retrospective self-reports indicated significant changes in sexual identity and commitment, with effects ranging from small to large. Mental health improvements included reductions in traumatic stress (d = 1.051), depression (d = 0.756), and anxiety (d = 0.859), and increased psychological flexibility (d = 0.996). Canonical correlation analysis identified a significant relationship (Rc = 0.49, p = .001) between the intensity of acute psychedelic effect and increases in self-acceptance and sexual identity exploration. These findings suggest that psychedelic experiences may positively impact mental health and facilitate identity exploration in LGBTQIA+ individuals. This study offers preliminary support for further research into the therapeutic potential of psychedelics within marginalized communities.

Although cannabis has gained attention as a potential treatment for chronic pain, hazardous cannabis use (i.e. patterns of use that have harmful consequences) has been linked to negative health outcomes. Pain intensity is associated with greater cannabis use, and individuals with greater pain-related anxiety may be more likely to respond to pain with substance use. However, no prior work has examined the role of pain-related anxiety in hazardous cannabis use among individuals with chronic pain. The current analyses tested whether pain-related anxiety moderates associations between pain intensity and hazardous cannabis use. Participants included 80 cannabis users with chronic pain (63% male; 67% White; M_age = 33.6). Results indicated a positive interaction between pain intensity and pain-related anxiety on hazardous cannabis use (p < .05), such that pain intensity was positively associated with hazardous cannabis use among individuals with moderate and high pain-related anxiety, but not those with low pain-related anxiety, suggesting that pain-related anxiety may function as a transdiagnostic vulnerability factor for greater co-occurring pain and hazardous cannabis use. Future work should examine longitudinal associations between pain, pain-related anxiety, and hazardous cannabis use. There may be clinical utility in addressing pain-related anxiety among cannabis users with chronic pain.

New methods that capture the public's perception of controversial topics may be valuable. This study investigates public sentiments toward psychedelics and other substances through analyzes of Reddit discussions, using Google's cloud-based Natural Language Processing (NLP) infrastructure. Our findings indicate that illicit substances such as heroin and methamphetamine are associated with highly negative general sentiments, whereas psychedelics like Psilocybin, LSD, and Ayahuasca generally evoke neutral to slightly positive sentiments. This study underscores the effectiveness and cost efficiency of NLP and machine learning models in understanding the public's perception of sensitive topics. The findings indicate that online public sentiment toward psychedelics may be growing in acceptance of their therapeutic potential. However, limitations include potential selection bias from the Reddit sample and challenges in accurately interpreting nuanced language using NLP. Future research should aim to diversify data sources and enhance NLP models to capture the full spectrum of public sentiment toward psychedelics. Our findings support the importance of ongoing research and public education to inform policy decisions and therapeutic applications of psychedelics.