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A brand new research carried out by researchers from Reichman College and different Israeli establishments explored the psychological aftermath of the lethal terrorist assault on the Nova Pageant in southern Israel. The assault, which passed off on October 7, 2023, claimed the lives of almost 400 folks and left a whole lot extra bodily and psychologically wounded.
Three weeks after the bloodbath, the researchers administered in-person psychological questionnaires to 343 survivors aged 18–64, inspecting the individuals’ psychological state, the psychoactive substances they consumed earlier than and throughout the pageant, and the methods these substances could have affected their bodily and psychological response to trauma.
Whereas the phenomenon of post-traumatic stress dysfunction (PTSD) and nervousness following publicity to conflict and terrorism is turning into an more and more urgent international psychological well being concern, scientific understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the event of those situations stays partial and restricted.
Up to now, most information within the subject is predicated on analysis in animal fashions, quite than on direct proof from people uncovered to excessive traumatic occasions—particularly not beneath the affect of mind-altering substances. That is what makes the Nova Pageant an distinctive occasion—it was a real-world scenario, versus a laboratory simulation, by which trauma and psychedelics intersected.
The research’s findings, revealed within the Journal of Psychopharmacology, present that survivors who had used “classic” psychedelics—together with hallucinogenic mushrooms (psilocybin), LSD, mescaline, and 2C-B—reported considerably decrease ranges of tension and post-traumatic signs in comparison with those that had not used psychedelics or who had consumed different substances, reminiscent of MDMA, hashish, or alcohol.
These outcomes remained statistically vital even after controlling for elements reminiscent of age, gender, earlier psychiatric historical past, and prior psychedelic use. For instance, whereas the common nervousness symptom rating throughout all the pattern was 1.90, it dropped to 1.38 among the many survivors who had taken basic psychedelics.
Dr. Zohar Rubinstein of the Baruch Ivcher Faculty of Psychology at Reichman College mentioned, “This is a powerful example of the simultaneous exposure of almost 4,000 people to a traumatic event on a massive scale. The survivors’ willingness to cooperate with us during such a difficult time allowed us to examine the effects of psychedelics at a relatively early stage of symptom onset, and in a more natural setting (compared to therapeutic settings). These data are of great clinical importance.”
Einat Karp Barnir, a medical psychologist on the Baruch Ivcher Faculty of Psychology at Reichman College, mentioned, “Just a few days after October seventh, I started volunteering as a medical psychologist in a therapeutic area. After dozens of conversations I had with survivors, I began to note that a few of those that had been beneath the affect of sure substances appeared to indicate milder signs—much less nervousness and fewer post-traumatic responses.
“Across the similar time, I got here throughout an article claiming that substance use may enhance the post-traumatic stress of those that had been on the Nova Pageant. The discrepancy between what was being mentioned within the media and what I used to be seeing on the bottom sparked the concept for this research.
“I contacted Dr. Rubinstein, and we determined to discover the connection between the kind of substance taken on the celebration and the severity of psychological responses after the occasion. At a time when understanding and treating trauma is extra related than ever, there’s nonetheless a scarcity of enough details about the elements that affect the formation of traumatic reminiscences.
“Our study sheds light on the differing effects of various substances and contributes to our understanding of how traumatic memories are formed and retained. Such an understanding could one day not only improve treatment, but even help prevent the development of PTSD.”
Prof. Rany Abend of the Baruch Ivcher Faculty of Psychology at Reichman College mentioned, “What the survivors have given us—through tremendous courage—is a unique glimpse into how mind-altering substances affect the formation of trauma, based on their personal experiences. The main finding of our study indicates that the brain systems activated by classic psychedelics are involved in the connection between the experience of a life-threatening event, the formation of a traumatic memory, and the emergence of psychological symptoms.”
This research provides to a rising physique of analysis on this vital matter, supplies new insights for researchers and therapists, and presents real-world proof that the usage of basic psychedelics could cut back trauma signs—an vital discovering with implications for each analysis and medical apply.
Nonetheless, the researchers emphasize the necessity for warning. “The study’s findings are not intended to encourage the free and unsupervised use of psychedelics, nor do they suggest that such use constitutes a form of treatment,” Dr. Rubinstein clarifies.
“Rather, they point to potential mechanisms—which need to be further investigated—that may explain how supervised use within an integrative psychological treatment setting may yield therapeutic benefits.”
Extra data:
Einat Karp Barnir et al, Peri-traumatic consumption of basic psychedelics is related to decrease nervousness and post-traumatic responses 3 weeks after publicity, Journal of Psychopharmacology (2025). DOI: 10.1177/02698811251334025
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Reichman College
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When trauma and psychedelics meet: Research finds decreased nervousness and PTSD amongst Nova pageant survivors (2025, June 4)
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