A new study confirms the results of previous studies on the use of psilocybin, the active component of hallucinogenic mushrooms, to treat resistant depression.
An estimated 100 million people worldwide suffer from severe clinical depression that is unresponsive to any available treatment; 30% attempt suicide. For years, the use of psychedelics has been studied as an alternative to treatment with antidepressants, whose effectiveness is questioned. A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that psilocybin, the active compound in psychedelic mushrooms, can improve symptoms of severe depression with a single dose, accompanied by therapy, with effects lasting up to 12 weeks.
The test consisted of taking a pill of up to 25 mg of psilocybin, which put patients into a dreamlike state. In this state, neuroplasticity, that is, flexibility in the brain, increases, which increases the chances of successful psychological therapy.
The researchers, from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London and the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, noted that the majority of their patients had been severely depressed for more than a year and were in their 40s. After taking psilocybin and receiving psychotherapy one in three patients went into remission, that is, they were no longer diagnosed with depression three weeks after the single dose. One in five experienced significant improvement within 12 weeks
Experts insist that larger studies with much longer follow-up time are still needed. The effects of psychedelic drugs can bring up difficult or traumatic memories from the past, for example, that are terrifying for some people if not taken in a controlled environment and supported by a psychotherapist, according to the researchers. At the same time, the patient feels a deep reconnection with himself and his feelings.
Scientists have studied the effects of psilocybin on mental disorders for years. Recent studies have been promising, but so far are too short to assess lasting effects. In this last trial, doses of 1mg, 10mg and 25mg were tested in a total of 233 people from 10 countries in Europe and North America, with 25mg giving the best results.
The next day and a week later, patients received psychological support to talk about their experience. According to Nadav Liam Modlin, one of the psychotherapists involved in the study, patients go from ‘What’s wrong with me?’ to ‘What happened to me?
A larger study, which will begin soon, will look at how many doses are needed to prevent a permanent recurrence of depression. According to the researchers, it could be three years before the drug is close to being licensed.
REFERENCE
Single-dose psilocybin for a treatment-resistant episode of major depression