Psychedelic Treatment: Psilocybin Effective for Up to a Year for Some Patients with Depression
According to a new study conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the USA, the psychoactive substance found in some mushrooms can help in the treatment of depression in a short period of time
By João R. Negromonte
Recent study conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University in the United States reveals that psilocybin (psychedelic substance derived from some mushrooms) can help in the treatment of depression, requiring less time compared to conventional medication alternatives to show better results.
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The research, published last Tuesday (15) in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, titled "Effectiveness and safety of psilocybin-assisted treatment for major depressive disorder: 12-month prospective follow-up", gathered 27 participants with a history of frequent depression, with most of them living with the disease for over two years.
The average age of the recruits was 40 years, with 19 women and 8 men among the trial participants. Among them, 85% reported using traditional antidepressants, with 58% of the 27 individuals only using these medications during their crises.
The participants were divided into two groups, where they were referred to follow-up meetings lasting six to eight hours with two specialists called "treatment facilitators". These moderators had the task of monitoring and guiding patients on the use of the psychedelic substance.
After this preparation, all participants received two doses of psilocybin over two weeks, alternating each medication session with psychoanalytic sessions over 12 months. Of the 27 participants, 24 completed both sessions between ingestion of the component and follow-up evaluation.
According to Natalie Gukasyan, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and study lead: "The findings increase the evidence that, under carefully controlled conditions, this is a promising therapeutic approach that can lead to significant and lasting improvements in depression," and emphasizes: "the results we see are in a research setting that requires a lot of preparation and structured support from trained doctors and therapists, so people should not attempt to undergo treatment on their own."
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It is also important to note that more studies are still needed, but according to the researchers, the results of this trial were encouraging. By monitoring the treatment, they were able to observe that patients had a significant reduction in the severity of the disease over one, three, six, and 12 months after the start of the treatment.
For Roland Griffiths, Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology of Consciousness at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and one of the study authors:
"Compared to standard antidepressants, which must be taken for long periods of time, psilocybin has the potential to provide long-lasting relief of depression symptoms within a timeframe of one to two years, significantly shorter than conventional treatments for the disease."
Several studies have already reported the effectiveness of psilocybin in treating depression, restoring brain cells lost due to the condition. However, this new research shows that in addition to the psychedelic treatment being beneficial against the disease, it ensures a higher quality of life for the patient in a shorter period of time.