A psychedelic treatment with psilocybin can quickly and significantly reduce severe depressive symptoms.
- Psilocybin is effective in relieving all types of patients who suffer from severe depression.
- Four weeks after treatment, 54% of participants were considered in remission, which means they no longer qualify as depressed.
Hover to forget your worries. Psilocybin, the hallucinogenic molecule present in particular in psychedelic mushrooms, would relieve depressive episodes. These results, already observed by American researchers in a study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology on November 30, 2016, have been confirmed by scientists from Johns Hopkins University (USA). In works presented on November 4 in JAMA Psychiatrythe authors argue that two doses of psilocybin, coupled with supportive psychotherapy, rapidly and significantly reduce depressive symptoms.
54% of participants in remission thanks to psilocybin
Researchers report that psilocybin is effective in relieving all types of patients who suffer from severe depression. “The magnitude of the effect we saw was about four times greater than what clinical trials have shown for traditional antidepressants on the market.rejoiced Alan Davis, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University and one of the authors of the study. Because most other depression treatments take weeks or months to work and can have adverse effects, it could be a game-changer if these results hold up in future placebo-controlled clinical trials..” Psilocybin produces visual and auditory hallucinations and profound changes in consciousness within hours of ingestion.
The results were obtained from 24 patients who had persistent depressive symptoms for about two years before enrolling in the study. They had to reduce their intake of antidepressants before the study to ensure safe exposure to this experimental treatment. Under the direction of the researchers, they underwent two five-hour psilocybin sessions and were followed for four weeks.
Evidence of the need for medical approval for psilocybin
More than one in three volunteers (67%) showed a reduction of more than 50% in symptoms of depression after one week and 71% after four weeks. Four weeks after treatment, 54% of participants were considered in remission, which means they no longer qualify as depressed. “Because there are several types of major depressive disorder that can lead to variations in how people respond to treatment, I was surprised that most of our study participants found psilocybin treatment to be effective.”, wondered Roland Griffiths, professor of neuropsychopharmacology of consciousness at Johns Hopkins University.
Participants’ depressive symptoms were assessed with the GRID-Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, a depression assessment tool at enrollment, one week after taking psilocybin, and a final time four weeks after. A score of 24 or more indicates severe depression, 17-23 moderate depression, 8-16 mild depression and 7 or no signs of depression. When enrolled, participants presented an average score of 23. One week and four weeks after taking psilocybin, this average score dropped to 8.”I think this study is proof of the importance of medical approval for psilocybin to treat depressionargues Tim Ferriss, who supported the fundraising campaign for this study. How to explain the incredible magnitude and durability of the effects? Research into treatment with moderate to high doses of psychedelics may reveal entirely new paradigms for understanding and improving mood and mind..” The researchers have announced that they will continue to follow the participants for a year to study the effect over time of this treatment.
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