Matthew Johnson is an experimental psychologist who conducts clinical research with psychedelics at Sheppard Pratt. From 2004 to 2025 he conducted seminal psychedelic research at Johns Hopkins, playing a role in the revival of psychedelic research. He has published research on psychedelics in relation to mystical experience, personality change, tobacco smoking cessation, cancer distress treatment, depression treatment, and psychedelic risks and safety guidelines. In 2021 he received as PI the first grant in ~50 years from the US government to administer a classic psychedelic as a treatment, specifically psilocybin for tobacco addiction. Dr. Johnson is also known for his expertise in behavioral economics, addiction, sexual risk behavior, and research with a wide variety of drugs (e.g., cocaine, methamphetamine, nicotine, alcohol, opioids, sedatives, and cannabis). Dr. Johnson has been continually funded by NIDA as PI for >15 years and is a former standing member of the Addiction Risks and Mechanisms Study Section for NIH. He is a former President of the Society for Psychopharmacology and Substance Use Division of the American Psychological Association, and a former President of the International Society for Research on Psychedelics. He has been Interviewed by Lex Fridman, Huberman Lab, Big Think, Michael Pollan, and 60 Minutes.

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Generalized Psychedelic Efficacy Hypothesis

An online survey was conducted of individuals who reported use of a classic psychedelic (e.g., psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca) or MDMA with therapeutic intent for the treatment of either depression, anxiety, or PTSD/trauma, regardless of therapeutic outcome. Overall, 1,159 participants completed the survey. Retrospective (pre-treatment) and current scales were completed for depressive symptoms (PHQ9), anxiety symptoms (GAD7) and PTSD/trauma (PCL5). Among the overall sample, 962 reported use for treatment of depression, 880 reported use for treatment of anxiety, and 682 reported use for treatment of PTSD/trauma (non-mutually exclusive). Demographics were: mean age 37 years, 40% female, 19% non-White, and 73% lived in the United States. Participants showed, on average, large and significant decreases in symptom scale scores for the disorders of therapeutic intent.  Overall, 87% reported that psychedelic experiences improved symptoms, 10% reported no change, and 3% reported worsening of symptoms. This general distribution remained relatively similar regardless of whether classic psychedelics or MDMA was used, and regardless of the therapeutic target. Results suggest a generalized psychedelic efficacy hypothesis, which challenges the notion that there is a unique relationship between certain psychedelics and the treatment of certain disorders (e.g., psilocybin for depression; MDMA for PTSD), consistent with the notion that these various psychedelics enhance psychotherapeutic process in the treatment of varying disorders.