Publications

Preprints

Stark-Elster, E., Sethathi, M., van der Merwe, B., Nayak, S. M., Yaden, D. B., & Singh, M. (2026, preprint). Psilocybin use among Basotho healers and non-healers in southern Africa. [link]

Nayak, S. M., Sepeda, N. D., Dick, M. Nielsen, Tiwari, P., Zahid, Z., Sayalı, C., Weiss, B. M., Yaden, D. B., Garcia-Romeu, A., Barnett, B. S., & Barrett, F. S. (2026, preprint). Acute Cardiovascular Effects of Psilocybin: A Pooled Analysis of 14 Studies with Safety Recommendations. [link]

2026

Goldy, S. P., Klein, K. A., Yaden, D. B., & Nayak, S. M. (2026). What goes up must comedown: Prevalence rates, characteristics, and coping strategies concerning MDMA aftereffects. Psychopharmacology. [pdf]

Goldy, S. P., Sepeda, N. D., Hilbert, S. N., Bari, B. A., Garcia-Romeu, A., Gukasyan, N., Barrett, F. S., Yaden, D. B., & Nayak, S. M. (2026). Trip sitting or just sitting? Session facilitators substantially influence psychedelic experiences in clinical trials but not in healthy ones. Psychiatry Research. [pdf]

Zahid, Z., Strassman, R.J., Qualls, C.R., & Nayak, S.M. (2026). 5-HT1A receptor blockade potentiates the subjective effects of DMT. Journal of Psychopharmacology. [pdf]

Schettino, J. R., Cheung, K., Nayak, S. M., Weiss, B. M., & Yaden, D. B. (2026). Psychological support can be distinguished from psychotherapy: Clarifications for future empirical work. General Hospital Psychiatry. [pdf]

Singleton, S. P., Sevchik, B. L., Lahey, A., Cuijpers, P., Harrer, M., Jones, M. T., Nayak, S. M., Strain, E. C., Vandekar, S. N., Dworkin, R. H., Scott, J. C., & Satterthwaite, T. D. (2026). A living systematic review, meta-analysis and open-data resource of randomized controlled trials of psilocybin treatment for symptoms of depression. Nature Mental Health. [pdf] [project website]

Sevchik, B. L., Singleton, S. P., Lahey, A., Cuijpers, P., Harrer, M., Jones, M. T., Nayak, S. M., Strain, E. C., Vandekar, S. N., Yaden, D. B., et al. (2026). A living systematic review, meta-analysis, and open data resource of trials of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. Neuropsychopharmacology, 1-12. [doi] [project website]

Nayak, S. M., Weiss, B., & Yaden, D. B. (2026).Psychedelics Trials and Outcomes—A Closer Look. JAMA Psychiatry. [link]

Jacobs, E., Zahid, Z., Hinkle, J., Nayak, S., & Yaden, D. B. (2026). Psychedelic medicine: mechanisms, evidence, and translation to practice. BMJ. [doi]

2025

Nayak, S.M. & Zahid, Z. (2025). Out of control: Blinding, dose response, and psychosocial controls in psychedelic trials. Journal of Psychopharmacology. [pdf]

Nayak, S.M., White, S.H., Hilbert, S.N., Lowe, M.X., Jackson, H., Griffiths, R.R., Garcia-Romeu, A., & Yaden, D.B. (2025). Psychedelic experiences increase mind perception but do not change atheist-believer status: A prospective longitudinal study. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. [pdf]

Bender, D.A., Nayak, S.M., Siegel, J.S., Hellerstein, D.J., Ercal, B.C., & Lenze, E.J. (2025). Psychological support approaches in psychedelic therapy: Results from a survey of psychedelic practitioners. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. [doi]

Bender, D.A., Nayak, S.M., Siegel, J.S., Hellerstein, D.J., Ercal, B.C., & Lenze, E.J. (2025). The role of touch in psychedelic therapy: Perspectives from a survey of practitioners in research settings. American Journal of Psychotherapy. [doi]

Bender, D.A., Nayak, S.M., Siegel, J.S. et al. (2025). Provider perspectives on challenges in treatment during psychedelic therapy. Psychopharmacology. [doi]

Singleton, S.P., Sevchik, B.L., Vandekar, S.N., Strain, E.C., Nayak, S.M., Dworkin, R.H., Scott, J.C., & Satterthwaite, T.D. (2025). An initiative for living evidence synthesis in clinical psychedelic research. Nature Mental Health. [project website]

Goldy, S.P., Du, B.A., Rohde, J.S., Nayak, S.M., Strickland, J.C., Ehrenkranz, R., Levine, M., Barrett, F.S., & Yaden, D.B. (2025). Psychedelic risks and benefits: A cross-sectional survey study. Journal of Psychopharmacology. [doi]

Barnett, B.S., Vest, M.F., Delatte, M.S., King IV, F., Mauney, E.E., Coulson, A.J., Nayak, S.M., Hendricks, P.S., Greer, G.R., & Murnane, K.S. (2025). Practical considerations in the establishment of psychedelic research programs. Psychopharmacology. [doi]

Richard, J., Scott, J., Nayak, S.M., Sepeda, N.D., Lowe, M.X., Jackson, H., & Garcia-Romeu, A. (2025). Patterns of internalizing problems, substance use and cognitive flexibility before and after naturalistic psilocybin use: A repeated measures latent profile analysis. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction.

Yaden, D.B., Graziosi, M., Owen, A.M., Agin-Liebes, G., Aaronson, S.T., Allen, K.E., Barrett, F.S., Bogenschutz, M.P., Carhart-Harris, R., Ching, T.H.W., Nayak, S.M., & Yaden, M.E. (2025). A field-wide review and analysis of study materials used in psilocybin trials: Assessment of two decades of research. Psychedelic Medicine.

Mathai, D.S., Roberts, D.E., Nayak, S.M., Sepeda, N.D., Lehrner, A., Johnson, M.W., Lowe, M.X., Jackson, H., & Garcia-Romeu, A. (2025). Shame, guilt, and psychedelic experience: Results from a prospective, longitudinal survey of real-world psilocybin use. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs.

Ehrenkranz, R., Agrawal, M., Nayak, S.M., & Yaden, D.B. (2025). Adverse events should not be surprising in psychedelic research. Psychedelic Medicine.

Bender, D.A., Nayak, S.M., Siegel, J.S., Hellerstein, D.J., Ercal, B.C., & Lenze, E.J. (2025). Psychedelic therapies: One drug, multiple treatments reply to Modesto-Lowe et al. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Jones, G., Lowe, M.X., Nayak, S., Sepeda, N., Kettner, H., Carhart-Harris, R., Jackson, H., & Garcia-Romeu, A. (2025). Examining differences in the effects and contexts of naturalistic psilocybin use for White participants vs. participants of Color: A longitudinal online survey study. Journal of Affective Disorders.

2024

Hinkle, J.T., Graziosi, M., Nayak, S.M., & Yaden, D.B. (2024). Adverse events in studies of classic psychedelics: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry. [pdf]

Nayak, S.M. & Johnson, M.W. (2024). Disorders due to substance use: Hallucinogens and MDMA-related substances. In Tasman’s Psychiatry (5th ed., pp. 2653–2686). Springer International Publishing. [pdf]

Barnett, B.S., Anand, A., Dewey, E.N., Smith, D., Nayak, S.M., Bruckman, D., & Weleff, J. (2024). Perceived risk of trying lysergic acid diethylamide in the United States from 2015 to 2019: Are Americans assessing lysergic acid diethylamide’s risk profile more favorably? Psychedelic Medicine. [pdf]

Yaden, D.B., Gukasyan, N., Nayak, S.M. (2024). Psilocybin in bipolar II study provides preliminary data on safety. JAMA Psychiatry. [doi]

Meling, D., Ehrenkranz, R., Nayak, S.M., Aicher, H.D., Funk, X., van Elk, M., Graziosi, M., Bauer, P.R., Scheidegger, M., & Yaden, D.B. (2024). Mind the psychedelic hype: Characterizing the risks and benefits of psychedelics for depression. Psychoactives. [doi]

Davis, A.K., Timmermann, C., Ortiz Bernal, A.M., Lancelotta, R., Nayak, S.M., Sepeda, N.D., Nikolaidis, A., & Griffiths, R.R. (2024). Translation and initial psychometric evaluation of Spanish versions of three psychedelic acute effects measures: Mystical, challenging, and insight experiences. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. [doi]

Levin, A.W., Lancelotta, R., Sepeda, N.D., Gukasyan, N., Nayak, S.M., Wagener, T.L., Barrett, F.S., Griffiths, R.R., & Davis, A.K. (2024). The therapeutic alliance between study participants and intervention facilitators is associated with acute effects and clinical outcomes in a psilocybin-assisted therapy trial for major depressive disorder. PLOS ONE.

Wang, E., Mathai, D.S., Gukasyan, N., Nayak, S., & Garcia-Romeu, A. (2024). Knowledge, attitudes, and concerns about psilocybin and MDMA as novel therapies among U.S. healthcare professionals. Scientific Reports.

Jacobs, E., Earp, B.D., Appelbaum, P.S., Bruce, L., Cassidy, K., Celidwen, Y., Cheung, K., Clancy, S.K., Devenot, N., Evans, J., Nayak, S.M., Yaden, D.B. (2024). The Hopkins-Oxford Psychedelics Ethics (HOPE) Working Group consensus statement. The American Journal of Bioethics.

O’Donnell, K.C., Anderson, B.T., Barrett, F.S., Bogenschutz, M.P., Grob, C.S., Hendricks, P.S., Kelmendi, B., Nayak, S.M., Nicholas, C.R., Paleos, C.A. (2024). Misinterpretations and omissions: A critical response to Goodwin and colleagues’ commentary on psilocybin-assisted therapy. American Journal of Psychiatry

Dworkin, R.H., McDermott, M.P., Nayak, S.M., Strain, E.C. (2024). Reply to “Capturing synergy holistically in psychedelic clinical trials.” Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics.

Yaden, D.B., Nayak, S.M., Griffiths, R.R. (2024). Belief change and agnostic frames in psychedelic research and clinical contexts. In C. Letheby & P. Gerrans (Eds.), Philosophical Perspectives on Psychedelic Psychiatry. Oxford Academic.

Yaden, D.B., Berghella, A.P., Hendricks, P.S., Yaden, M.E., Levine, M., Rohde, J.S., Nayak, S., Johnson, M.W., Garcia-Romeu, A. (2024). IUPHAR-review: The integration of classic psychedelics into current substance use disorder treatment models. Pharmacological Research.

2023

Nayak, S.M., Singh, M., Yaden, D.B., & Griffiths, R.R. (2023). Belief changes associated with psychedelic use. Journal of Psychopharmacology. [pdf]

Nayak, S.M., Bari, B.A., Yaden, D.B., Spriggs, M.J., Rosas, F.E., Peill, J.M., Giribaldi, B., Erritzoe, D., Nutt, D.J., & Carhart-Harris, R. (2023). A Bayesian reanalysis of a trial of psilocybin versus escitalopram for depression. Psychedelic Medicine. [pdf]

Nayak, S.M., Bradley, M.K., Kleykamp, B.A., Strain, E.C., Dworkin, R.H., & Johnson, M.W. (2023). Control conditions in randomized trials of psychedelics: An ACTTION systematic review. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. [pdf]

Gukasyan, N., Griffiths, R.R., Yaden, D.B., Antoine, D.G., Nayak, S.M. (2023). Attenuation of psilocybin mushroom effects during and after SSRI/SNRI antidepressant use. Journal of Psychopharmacology. [pdf]

Nayak, S.M., Jackson, H., Sepeda, N.D., Mathai, D.S., So, S., Yaffe, A., Zaki, H., Brasher, T.J., Lowe, M.X., Jolly, D.R.P., & Garcia-Romeu, A. (2023). Naturalistic psilocybin use is associated with persisting improvements in mental health and well-being: Results from a prospective, longitudinal survey. Frontiers in Psychiatry. [doi]

Raison, C.L., Sanacora, G., Woolley, J., Heinzerling, K., Dunlop, B.W., Brown, R.T., … Nayak, S.M., … Griffiths, R.R. (2023). Single-dose psilocybin treatment for major depressive disorder: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA. [doi]

Mathai, D.S., Nayak, S.M., Yaden, D.B., & Garcia-Romeu, A. (2023). Reconsidering “dissociation” as a predictor of antidepressant efficacy for esketamine. Psychopharmacology. [doi]

Graziosi, M., Singh, M., Nayak, S.M., Yaden, D.B. (2023). Acute subjective effects of psychedelics within and beyond WEIRD contexts. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. [doi]

Dworkin, R.H., McDermott, M.P., Nayak, S.M., Strain, E.C. (2023). Psychedelics and psychotherapy: Is the whole greater than the sum of its parts? Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics.

2022

Gukasyan, N. & Nayak, S.M. (2022). Psychedelics, placebo effects, and set and setting: Insights from common factors theory of psychotherapy. Transcultural Psychiatry. [pdf]

Nayak, S.M. & Griffiths, R.R. (2022). A single belief-changing psychedelic experience is associated with increased attribution of consciousness to living and non-living entities. Frontiers in Psychology. [doi]

Sweeney, M.M., Nayak, S.M., Hurwitz, E.S., Mitchell, L.N., Swift, T.C., & Griffiths, R.R. (2022). Comparison of psychedelic and near-death or other non-ordinary experiences in changing attitudes about death and dying. PLOS ONE. [doi]

Zeifman, R.J., Yu, D., Singhal, N., Wang, G., Nayak, S.M., & Weissman, C.R. (2022). Decreases in suicidality following psychedelic therapy: A meta-analysis of individual patient data across clinical trials. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Nayak, S.M., Brigham, J., Gerstenblith, T.A., & Prince, E. (2022). Psychopharmacology in the critical care setting. In K.J. Stucky & J.E. Jutte (Eds.), Critical Care Psychology and Rehabilitation (pp. 235–250). Oxford University Press.

Huhn, A.S., Strain, E.C., Jardot, J., Turner, G., Bergeria, C.L., Nayak, S.M., & Dunn, K.E. (2022). Treatment disruption and childcare responsibility as risk factors for drug and alcohol use in persons in treatment for substance use disorders during the COVID-19 crisis. Journal of Addiction Medicine.

2021

Nayak, S.M. & Johnson, M.W. (2021). Psychedelics and psychotherapy. Pharmacopsychiatry. [pdf]

Nayak, S.M., Gukasyan, N., Barrett, F.S., Erowid, E., Erowid, F., & Griffiths, R.R. (2021). Classic psychedelic coadministration with lithium, but not lamotrigine, is associated with seizures: An analysis of online psychedelic experience reports. Pharmacopsychiatry. [pdf]

Nayak, S.M., Huhn, A.S., Bergeria, C.L., Strain, E.C., & Dunn, K.E. (2021). Familial perceptions of appropriate treatment types and goals for a family member who has opioid use disorder. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. [doi]

Yaden, D.B., Johnson, M.W., Griffiths, R.R., Doss, M., Garcia-Romeu, A., Nayak, S.M., Gukasyan, N., Mathur, B.N., & Barrett, F.S. (2021). Psychedelics and consciousness: Distinctions, demarcations, and opportunities. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology.

Yaden, D.B., Nayak, S.M., Gukasyan, N., Anderson, B.T., & Griffiths, R.R. (2021). The potential of psychedelics for end of life and palliative care. Disruptive Psychopharmacology.