Adverse Effects of Psychedelics
Psychedelics are powerful substances, which brings potential but also challenges. Though most people have positive experiences with them, psychedelics also harbor the potential to be destabilizing, especially in unsafe or unsupportive environments. Previous research shows that a minority of people report lasting negative effects after psychedelic trips, particularly when the experience was frightening and proper support was not available.
We think that most adverse effects from psychedelics are preventable. Our research focuses on characterizing the prevalence of different types of adverse effects from psychedelics, as well as how long they tend to last, what risk factors are important, and how lasting negative effects might be prevented and treated. Our goal is to make psychedelics safer for everyone, as well as improve the quality of information about adverse effects for those who need to find it.
Swiss Psychedelic Side Effects Inventory (SPSI)
We developed a systematic questionnaire for assessing side effects in any study of psychedelics or MDMA. Visit this page for more information and downloads.
Publications
Scientific Talks
Adverse effects of psychedelics: are they all part of the therapeutic process?
Prof. Gregor Hasler at the ALPS Conference, 2021
In medicine, an adverse effect is an undesired harmful effect resulting from a medication or other intervention. In psychedelics research and therapy, the term “adverse effects” is rarely used because there is the assumption that all negative, unpleasant effects are part of the therapeutic process.
Is this really true? The minority of psychedelic studies that systematically assess this show that unpleasant effects are very common and that anxiety, nausea and headaches are the most prevalent ones. Are these symptoms part of the therapeutic process? Are they side effects related to the main therapeutic effect? Or are they adverse effects in the strict sense of the term which we should systematically assess and document? In my talk, I want to initiate a discussion about these important questions.
Understanding negative effects from psychedelics
Abigail Calder at the ALPS Conference, 2023
For decades, most rhetoric about psychedelics focused on their negative effects. This might make it seem like we know all there is to know about bad reactions to psychedelics – but how much do we really know? In this talk, I aim to separate fact from fiction and give an update on the unwanted, negative effects that can occur with psychedelics, in all settings.
Despite the gloomy subject, I hope to end on an optimistic note and leave you with an idea of how researchers, clinicians, and everyone else involved with this young field can help prevent and cope with the reality of adverse reactions to psychedelics in the future.
Understanding negative effects from psychedelics
Abigail Calder on the ALPS podcast, 2023
