According to data from the largest trial ever conducted, the naturally occurring psychedelic compound psilocybin can significantly reduce symptoms of depression.
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LONDON – The natural psychedelic compound psilocybin can significantly reduce symptoms of depression, according to data from the largest trial ever conducted.
Psilocybin was given to 233 patients who had tried at least two types of antidepressant before with no success, suggesting the compound could offer huge benefits for people with hard-to-treat depression.
After receiving psilocybin, patients go into a “dream walk” for between 4 and 6 hours and then leave the clinic when they have returned to their normal state.
The trial showed that a 25mg dose of psilocybin, given along with psychological support, reduced depression levels for three weeks after treatment.
The study, published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, was conducted internationally by London-based COMPASS Pathways.
According to James Rucker, consultant psychologist and senior clinical lecturer at King’s College London, around 100 million people worldwide suffer from untreatable depression, and so the study’s findings is a step in the right direction. research.
“Our mission now is to investigate psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression in larger trials with more participants, comparing it with placebo and established treatments.” , Rucker said, according to a King’s College London Press Release.
The drugs were tested in doses of 1mg, 10mg and 25mg and reported side effects across all groups included headache, nausea and thoughts of suicide.
However, according to Ravi Das, an associate professor at University College London’s Institute of Mental Health, there were not equal numbers of “severely depressed” participants in each dose group. ” like reported by Reuters.
Critics also expressed concern that this could lead to an increase in the use of magic mushrooms in non-pharmaceutical settings.
