Teri S Krebs’s research while affiliated with Norwegian University of Science and Technology and other places

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Publications (13)


Table 1 . Association of psychedelic use with mental health. 
Table 2 . Association between psychedelic (LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, peyote) use and mental health, excluding people with use of other illicit substances. 
Reply letter: Mental health of people who have used classical psychedelics and no other illicit drugs
  • Article
  • Full-text available

September 2015

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300 Reads

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2 Citations

Journal of Psychopharmacology

Teri Suzanne Krebs

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Figure 1. Association between psychedelic use and mental health.  
Table 1. Sociodemographic and psychological variables. 
Table 2. Lifetime illicit drug use variables. 
Psychedelics not linked to mental health problems or suicidal behavior: A population study

March 2015

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6,226 Reads

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281 Citations

Journal of Psychopharmacology

A recent large population study of 130,000 adults in the United States failed to find evidence for a link between psychedelic use (lysergic acid diethylamide, psilocybin or mescaline) and mental health problems. Using a new data set consisting of 135,095 randomly selected United States adults, including 19,299 psychedelic users, we examine the associations between psychedelic use and mental health. After adjusting for sociodemographics, other drug use and childhood depression, we found no significant associations between lifetime use of psychedelics and increased likelihood of past year serious psychological distress, mental health treatment, suicidal thoughts, suicidal plans and suicide attempt, depression and anxiety. We failed to find evidence that psychedelic use is an independent risk factor for mental health problems. Psychedelics are not known to harm the brain or other body organs or to cause addiction or compulsive use; serious adverse events involving psychedelics are extremely rare. Overall, it is difficult to see how prohibition of psychedelics can be justified as a public health measure. © The Author(s) 2015.



Psychedelics and Mental Health: A Population Study

August 2013

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4,352 Reads

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325 Citations

The classical serotonergic psychedelics LSD, psilocybin, mescaline are not known to cause brain damage and are regarded as non-addictive. Clinical studies do not suggest that psychedelics cause long-term mental health problems. Psychedelics have been used in the Americas for thousands of years. Over 30 million people currently living in the US have used LSD, psilocybin, or mescaline. To evaluate the association between the lifetime use of psychedelics and current mental health in the adult population. Data drawn from years 2001 to 2004 of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health consisted of 130,152 respondents, randomly selected to be representative of the adult population in the United States. Standardized screening measures for past year mental health included serious psychological distress (K6 scale), mental health treatment (inpatient, outpatient, medication, needed but did not receive), symptoms of eight psychiatric disorders (panic disorder, major depressive episode, mania, social phobia, general anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, posttraumatic stress disorder, and non-affective psychosis), and seven specific symptoms of non-affective psychosis. We calculated weighted odds ratios by multivariate logistic regression controlling for a range of sociodemographic variables, use of illicit drugs, risk taking behavior, and exposure to traumatic events. 21,967 respondents (13.4% weighted) reported lifetime psychedelic use. There were no significant associations between lifetime use of any psychedelics, lifetime use of specific psychedelics (LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, peyote), or past year use of LSD and increased rate of any of the mental health outcomes. Rather, in several cases psychedelic use was associated with lower rate of mental health problems. We did not find use of psychedelics to be an independent risk factor for mental health problems.


Figure 1. Lifetime psychedelic use by age and gender in the US in 2010. Error bars show 95% confidence intervals. Any psychedelic includes LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, and/or peyote. Mescaline includes both mescaline and peyote. 
Over 30 Million Psychedelic Users in the United States

March 2013

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5,655 Reads

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99 Citations

We estimated lifetime prevalence of psychedelic use (lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin (magic mushrooms), mescaline, and peyote) by age category using data from a 2010 US population survey of 57,873 individuals aged 12 years and older. There were approximately 32 million lifetime psychedelic users in the US in 2010; including 17% of people aged 21 to 64 years (22% of males and 12% of females). Rate of lifetime psychedelic use was greatest among people aged 30 to 34 (total 20%, including 26% of males and 15% of females).


Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) for Alcoholism: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

March 2012

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6,466 Reads

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480 Citations

Journal of Psychopharmacology

Assessments of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in the treatment of alcoholism have not been based on quantitative meta-analysis. Hence, we performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in order to evaluate the clinical efficacy of LSD in the treatment of alcoholism. Two reviewers independently extracted the data, pooling the effects using odds ratios (ORs) by a generic inverse variance, random effects model. We identified six eligible trials, including 536 participants. There was evidence for a beneficial effect of LSD on alcohol misuse (OR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.36-2.84; p = 0.0003). Between-trial heterogeneity for the treatment effects was negligible (I² = 0%). Secondary outcomes, risk of bias and limitations are discussed. A single dose of LSD, in the context of various alcoholism treatment programs, is associated with a decrease in alcohol misuse.


Methodological Weaknesses in Non- Randomized Studies of Ecstasy (MDMA) Use: A Cautionary Note to Readers and Reviewers

March 2012

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76 Reads

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8 Citations

Neuropsychopharmacology: official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology

Neuropsychopharmacology, the official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, publishing the highest quality original research and advancing our understanding of the brain and behavior.


Observer-Rated Defense Mechanisms at Early and Late in Treatment
Change in Defense Mechanisms During Short-Term Dynamic and Cognitive Therapy in Patients With Cluster C Personality Disorders

September 2011

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323 Reads

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39 Citations

The Journal of nervous and mental disease

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Teri S Krebs

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The aims of this study were to examine whether a change in overall defensive functioning during treatment a) would predict change in symptom distress during the course of treatment and follow-up and b) would be greater in short-term dynamic therapy than in cognitive therapy. Patients (N = 50) who met criteria for cluster C personality disorders were randomized to 40 weekly sessions of short-term dynamic therapy or cognitive therapy. Video recordings of a pretreatment interview and therapy session 36 were evaluated using the Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales. Symptom distress was measured using the revised version of Symptom Checklist-90. Change in overall defensive functioning during treatment predicted change in symptom distress from pretreatment to 2 years after treatment. Both treatment groups showed significant changes in defensive functioning toward greater adaptability but without any significant differences between the short-term dynamic therapy and cognitive therapy groups in a sample of patients with cluster C personality disorders.


How could MDMA (ecstasy) help anxiety disorders?

April 2009

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1,397 Reads

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98 Citations

Journal of Psychopharmacology

Exposure therapy is known to be an effective treatment for anxiety disorders. Nevertheless, exposure is not used as much as it should be, and instead patients are often given supportive medications such as serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and benzodiazepines, which may even interfere with the extinction learning that is the aim of treatment. Given that randomized controlled trials are now investigating a few doses of +/-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, 'ecstasy') in combination with psychotherapy for treatment-resistant anxiety disorders, we would like to suggest the following three mechanisms for this potentially important new approach: 1) MDMA increases oxytocin levels, which may strengthen the therapeutic alliance; 2) MDMA increases ventromedial prefrontal activity and decreases amygdala activity, which may improve emotional regulation and decrease avoidance and 3) MDMA increases norepinephrine release and circulating cortisol levels, which may facilitate emotional engagement and enhance extinction of learned fear associations. Thus, MDMA has a combination of pharmacological effects that, in a therapeutic setting, could provide a balance of activating emotions while feeling safe and in control, as described in case reports of MDMA-augmented psychotherapy. Further clinical and preclinical studies of the therapeutic value of MDMA are indicated.


Citations (12)


... 4 These substances act primarily on serotonergic pathways and do not cause the reinforcing behaviors characteristic of addiction. 5 Although tolerance may develop with frequent use, requiring increased doses to achieve equivalent effects, 6 traditional withdrawal symptoms, such as cravings or physical discomfort, are largely absent. Stopping their consumption after prolonged use can lead to transient negative psychological states such as anxiety, but does not carry any other identified risk. ...

Reference:

Psychedelic‐assisted therapy for palliative care within a home treatment setting: A case report
Mental health and suicidal behavior in psychedelic users: A population study
  • Citing Article
  • January 2015

Journal of Psychopharmacology

... Grob et al., 2011) and inducing meaningful experiences in healthy volunteers (Elsey, 2017;Griffiths et al., 2006). Ability to have reduced anxiety when facing death and meaningful experiences when alive is argued to be not only "human enhancement", but close to a human right (Krebs, 2015), especially from the standpoint of cognitive liberty (Walsh, 2016). ...

Protecting the human rights of people who use psychedelics
  • Citing Article
  • April 2015

The Lancet Psychiatry

... A prevailing concern among participants centred on the potential of psychedelics to precipitate psychiatric symptoms. Specifically, psychologists expressed that the consumption of psychedelics may induce psychotic disorders, although this is currently a contested point [27][28][29]. However, most thought that these adverse side effects could be mitigated through appropriate screening protocols before treatment, emphasising the importance of 'contextual' factors [30]. ...

Psychedelics not linked to mental health problems or suicidal behavior: A population study

Journal of Psychopharmacology

... p < 0.01), and Ayahuasca (χ 2 = 49. 30 The published scientific reports on the benefits of these substances 38.9% (1657) The reduction or elimination of the psychological symptoms experienced prior to consumption 24.4% (1042) The call of the substance itself, although I don't really know how to explain it 18% (769) The invitation of people close to me who regularly consume 13.6% (581) ...

Over 30 Million Psychedelic Users in the United States

... Participants also reported perceived improvements in a variety of mental health domains that they attributed to psychedelic use (Andersen et al. 2021;Krebs and Johansen 2013). As found in previous research with non-autistic people, improvement in mental health (i.e., reduction in general distress) was predicted by the intensity of the mystical experience (Roseman et al. 2019;Barrett et al. 2015;Roseman et al. 2018;Griffiths et al. 2016), although this effect was small. ...

Psychedelics and Mental Health: A Population Study

... Medication paradigms similar to therapeutic regimes evidence positive effects, whereas regimes resembling human abuse pattern reveal neurotoxic effects (Advokat 2007). In conclusion, the vast majority of research concerning "Ecstasy" appears to be inapplicable in order to establish the risks and potentials of the application of MDMA in clinical settings (Cole and Sumnall 2003;Krebs and Johansen 2012). ...

Methodological Weaknesses in Non- Randomized Studies of Ecstasy (MDMA) Use: A Cautionary Note to Readers and Reviewers

Neuropsychopharmacology: official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology

... Ironically, recent advancements in the research surrounding mechanisms and potential treatments for SUDs have identified and demonstrated that one of the other targets of the War on Drugs, namely psychedelics, may be the key to a holistic therapeutic option. Whilst early experimentation in the 1950s-1960s hinted at the therapeutic potential of psychedelics such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin (the main psychoactive component of 'magic mushrooms') for the treatment of SUDs, this research was practically halted when these compounds were made Schedule I substances by the 1970 Controlled Substances Act [6][7][8][9][10]. Concurrent with the rise in SUDs, particularly with the opioid epidemic and the after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, renewed interest has been shown in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for the treatment of various mental health disorders [6,9,[11][12][13][14][15][16]. ...

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) for Alcoholism: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Journal of Psychopharmacology

... Attention was also drawn to the fact that some of the 'novice' users had used ten times more than the group average and it could, therefore, not be qualified as low/light use. Furthermore, there were no available data on the dose itself, and high doses cannot be excluded [30]. In another prospective study, no effects of Ecstasy use on verbal memory were shown. ...

No evidence of decrease in cognitive function in users of low-dose Ecstasy

... A growing body of research has examined how defense mechanisms change throughout the course of therapy and how they become more adaptive over the course of psychodynamic treatment for various patient groups including depressive, binge eating, bipolar, and personality disorders (Bond & Perry, 2004;de Roten et al., 2021;Drapeau et al., 2003;Hill et al., 2015;Johansen et al., 2011;Kramer et al., 2010;Perry, 2001;Perry et al., 2020;Perry & Bond, 2012). The study of defense mechanisms has also been incorporated into the study of cognitive behavioral models. ...

Change in Defense Mechanisms During Short-Term Dynamic and Cognitive Therapy in Patients With Cluster C Personality Disorders

The Journal of nervous and mental disease

... The neurobiological mechanisms that underlie the purported therapeutic effects of MDMA-assisted therapy are not fully understood. Current theories include the potential role of MDMA in increasing oxytocin levels, which may strengthen bonding with family members and significant others, including clinicians, thereby strengthening therapeutic alliances [26,27]. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies suggest MDMA increases ventromedial prefrontal activity and decreases amygdala activity [28], which may have positive effects on emotional regulation, avoidance behaviours and fear [29]. ...

How could MDMA (ecstasy) help anxiety disorders?

Journal of Psychopharmacology