News
CIPER-SR Participation in the 6th Portuguese Psychologists' Association Congress
The CIPER-SR research team contributed to the 6th Portuguese Psychologists' Association Congress, held from September 25th to 27th in Lisbon.
Pedro Teixeira participated in a panel discussion titled Psicadélicos - Gloriosos (?) Anos 20 (Psychedelics — The Glorious (?) 2020s), exploring the role of psychedelics in mental health, well-being, and society.
Jorge Encantado and PhD student Laura Carvalho gave two presentations. The first, Ayahuasca Use and Public Health in Portugal, shared results from a study comparing public health indicators between Portuguese ayahuasca users and the general population, examining the impact of ayahuasca on physical and mental health. The second presentation, Mental Health Practitioners’ Attitudes and Beliefs About Psychedelic Substances, presented findings on the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of Portuguese mental health professionals regarding the potential of psilocybin and MDMA in treating mental health conditions.
CIPER-SR Participation in the 38th European Health Psychology Society Conference
The CIPER-SR team participated in the 38th European Health Psychology Society Conference, held in Estoril from September 3rd to 6th, contributing with both a roundtable discussion and a poster presentation.
The roundtable, titled The Psychedelic Renaissance: Opportunities for Behavior Change and Psychological Well-Being, featured researchers Pedro Teixeira, Jorge Encantado, PhD student Laura Carvalho, collaborating researcher Talea Cornelius, and physician Pedro Rodrigues. The session aimed to present update on psychedelic research in behavioral and health psychology as well as discuss mechanisms of change in psychedelic interventions in relation to theories in health psychology.
PhD student Laura Carvalho also presented a poster with preliminary data from the study Health Behavior Change Through Psychedelics: An International Survey, which indicated that psychedelic users reported positive changes in key health-related behaviors, such as reduced alcohol consumption and increased intake of fruits and vegetables.
Pedro Teixeira authors the book Psychedelics - in Portuguese (Psicadélicos - Em Português) published by Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos
Psicadélicos - Em Português, authored by Pedro Teixeira, is an essay providing an overview of the main topics surrounding psychedelics, including their history, potential therapeutic uses, mechanisms of action, and associated risks and precautions.
The publication, from Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos, also examines the scientific and cultural renaissance of psychedelics, discussing recent research developments and the ethical and legal challenges these substances present. In addition to dispelling common misconceptions, the book aims to inform both the general public and health professionals about the current state of this field and the potential of psychedelics as tools for psychological well-being and behavior change.
Psicadélicos - Em Português is an essential read for those looking to better understand this expanding topic.
Pedro Teixeira authors the book Motivations for an Active Life (Motivações para uma Vida Ativa) published by Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos
In May 2024, the Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos published the collection Pela Sua Saúde - Atividade Física e Bem-Estar, which includes the book Motivações para uma Vida Ativa by Pedro Teixeira.
This book aims to provide evidence-based insights to the general public to support behavior change toward a more active lifestyle. Alongside presenting current theories on the motivational components of behavior change, it also details strategies and techniques to help initiate and sustain active behaviors.
CIPER-SR Participation in the 37th European Health Psychology Society Conference
During the 37th Annual European Health Psychology Society Conference held in Bremen from September 4th to 8th, our team, represented by researcher Jorge Encantado and PhD student Laura Carvalho, presented two innovative posters. One poster delves into the potential health benefits of the psychedelic ayahuasca, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of its effects on well-being, encompassing both physical and mental health. The second poster introduces an international survey protocol designed to explore how psychedelics may contribute to positive health behavior changes.
Our overarching goal is to make meaningful contributions to the academic dialogue concerning the intricate relationship between psychedelics and health behaviour change.
Laura Carvalho's Scoping Review Presentation at the 2023 Insight Conference
At the 2023 Insight Conference in Berlin, held from August 30th to September 3rd, our PhD student, Laura Carvalho, delivered a poster communication focused on the preliminary outcomes of a scoping review designed to investigate the existing naturalistic evidence pertaining to the connection between psychedelics and health behavior change.
Laura's scoping review constitutes a vital contribution to the academic discourse in this field, shedding light on the empirical evidence available on the influence of psychedelics on health behavior change.
Pedro Teixeira Held a Presentation at the 2023 Insight Conference on Behavioural Psychedelics
At the 2023 Insight Conference in Berlin, taking place from August 30th to September 3rd, our principal investigator, Pedro Teixeira PhD, gave a talk centered on the profound potential of psychedelics in fostering health behavior change. The primary objective of this presentation was to provide an all-encompassing comprehension of potential relationships between psychedelics and health behaviour change, and the potential benefits on physical and mental well-being.
Pedro's work represents a substantial contribution to the ongoing academic dialogue surrounding the intricate relationship between psychedelics and health.
Pedro Teixeira among the top 2% researchers in the world
Considering impact throughout their career and in all research fields, 2 CIPER-FMH researchers were place in the top 2% in the world: Duarte Araújo and Pedro Teixeira. The score used In this independent analysis using the Scopus database values impact (citations) rather than productivity (number of publications) and it also incorporates information on co-authorship and author positions (single, first, last author). More info HERE.
Jorge Encantado presented on the topic of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy
At the XI event of "Jornadas de Psicologia" organized by the University of Aveiro (March 1st), Jorge Encantado, a researcher at the CIPER Self-Regulation research group, gave a talk on the topic of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, contextualizing it historically and providing updated clinical evidence of its therapeutic potential for depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and addiction. The slide deck for this presentation can be found HERE.
Pedro Teixeira presented an evidence synthesis on psychedelics and chronic pain
Pedro Teixeira, CIPER Self-Regulation research group director, at the 30th congress of pain medicine, reviewed the available evidence suggesting the potential future use of psychedelic-assisted therapies to treat chronic pain. The slide deck is available HERE.
Jorge Encantado provides training to CIPER's Researchers on Systematic Reviews
CIPER-SR researcher, Jorge Encantado Ph.D., presented in the CIPER Researchers' weekly meeting "An Introduction to Systematic Reviews". The presentation's goal was to provide students and researchers alike the fundamental knowledge regarding the procedures of a Systematic Review, the most critical steps, international guidelines, and some pitfalls that may occur during this long-term endeavour. A slide deck is available HERE.
Philipp Kadel at CIPER-SR research group
Psychologist Philipp Kadel, from the University of Mannheim, presented at CIPER Researchers' weekly meeting, a talk titled “The Planet's Health is Our Health - Psychological Perspectives on One-Health and Its Promotion”. It described the relevance of studying sustainable behaviours both for individual and environmental benefit (slide deck is available HERE). Philipp is an active member of the Psychology Coalition at the United Nations and the UN committee of the European Health Psychology Society (EHPS).
New article from the NoHow project (Horizon 2020) published in the British Journal of Health Psychology
Several CIPER-SR researchers were involved in the article "Motivational and Self-efficacy Reciprocal Effects During a 12-Month' Weight Regain Prevention Program" published in the British Journal of Health Psychology (Impact Factor 2021: 8.101). As part of the NoHoW Project, it presents latent growth models and cross-lagged analysis to identify longitudinal predictors of long-term weight change.
Pedro Teixeira presented an evidence synthesis on the association between psychedelic use and health behaviour change
At the inaugural conference of the Portuguese Society for Lifestyle Medicine, Pedro Teixeira, CIPER Self-Regulation research group director, reviewed the available evidence suggesting the potential future use of psychedelic-assisted therapies to facilitate health behaviour change, including healthy eating and physical activity. The slide deck is available HERE.
CIPER-SR at the 36th Annual Conference of the European Health Psychology Society
Our research team was represented at the annual congress of the European Health Psychology Society (August 23-27) by researcher Jorge Encantado. Two posters were presented, one to disseminate preliminary descriptive findings of a systematic review on the effects of psychedelic experiences in naturalistic settings; the other presented results of a survey about the attitudes and beliefs of Portuguese mental health professionals towards psilocybin-assisted therapy.
New world map of psychedelic science with CIPER-FMH’s Participation
As part of a collaborative effort between Blossom Analysis, CIPER’ Self-regulation group, and The Synthesis Institute, a non-profit educational website was recently launched allowing users to quickly find planned / ongoing research projects in psychedelic science - as well as researchers, research groups and their publications - all over the world. The Atlas of Psychedelic Research may be a useful tool for current and prospective student / researchers, to funding agencies, to journalists, and to private organisations looking for academic partnerships.
FMH-CIPER was present at ISBNPA 2022: Psychedelics and Health Behavior Change
A dedicated symposium named “Psychedelics and Health Behavior Change", was presented by Pedro Teixeira, CIPER-SR Lead Researcher, and the external collaborators Arlen Moller and Otto Simonson at the annual ISBNPA meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, United States of America. This talk was based on the review article, “Psychedelics and health behaviour change”, published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, and also covered the most recent research on the topic of Behavioural Psychedelics. The full video is available HERE.
Pedro Teixeira featured in the Psychedelic Medicine Podcast
Pedro Teixeira participated as a guest in the science dissemination podcast Psychedelic Medicine Podcast, hosted by Lynn Marie Morski. Pedro Teixeira discussed the most recent research in the field of "behavioural psychedelics", a new approach to studying the impact of psychedelic therapy on health behaviour change. The full podcast episode is available HERE.
Jorge Encantado presented an evidence synthesis of eHealth interventions
Jorge Encantado, CIPER Self-Regulation researcher presented an evidence synthesis of eHealth interventions to promote healthy behaviours, included in a series of scientific conferences organized weekly by ISPA - Instituto Universitário. To see the talk click HERE.
Pedro Teixeira included in the lists of highly cited researchers worldwide
Pedro Teixeira was recognized in Standard University's updated list of the most cited scientists worldwide in their respective fields (top 2%) throughout the year 2020. Other CIPER-FMH colleagues were also included in the lists of highly cited researchers worldwide: Duarte Araújo, Luís B. Sardinha, e Analiza M. Silva.
The new study led by scientists from Stanford University can be consulted free of charge at https://dx.doi.org/10.17632/btchxktzyw.