New research confirms the potential of psilocybin, the substance found in hallucinogenic mushrooms, to reduce symptoms of depression.
- The psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms appears to have the same effects on depressive disorders as some selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as escitalopram, a study has found.
- “Serotonergic psychedelics, particularly high-dose psilocybin, appear to have the potential to treat depressive symptoms.”
- “Our analysis suggests that the standardized mean difference for high-dose psilocybin was similar to that of current antidepressants, showing a small effect size.”
Could psilocybin be as good as antidepressant drugs? The psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms appears to have the same effects on depressive disorders as some selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like escitalopram, according to a new study published in the British Medical Journal.
Psychedelics vs. Antidepressants
To reach this conclusion, researchers from several universities in Taiwan relied on a meta-analysis of studies measuring the effects of psychedelics (LSD, psilocybin, MDMA, ayahuasca) or escitalopram in adults with acute depressive symptoms. A total of 811 people (mean age 42) were included in fifteen psychedelic trials and 1,968 people (mean age 39) in five escitalopram trials. The size of the effect was expressed as a standardized mean difference (0.2 to 0.5 indicates a small effect, 0.5 to 0.8 a moderate effect, and 0.8 or more a large effect).
To be eligible, psychedelic treatment (including MDMA, LSD, psilocybin, or ayahuasca) had to be administered orally without additional use of antidepressants, while escitalopram trials had to include at least two different oral doses (maximum 20 mg/day) with placebo. Tests comparing psychedelic therapy directly to escitalopram were also conducted.
As a result, while most psychedelics performed better than placebo in psychedelic trials on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, only high-dose psilocybin performed better than placebo in escitalopram trials, showing a small effect size (standardized mean difference of 0.3), which is similar to that of current antidepressants.
The Potential of Psilocybin to Treat Depressive Symptoms
“Serotonergic psychedelics, particularly high-dose psilocybin, appear to have the potential to treat depressive symptoms, summarize the scientists in a press release. Our analysis suggests that the standardized mean difference for high-dose psilocybin was similar to that of current antidepressants, showing a small effect size.”
The authors acknowledge several limitations to the study, however: only acute depression was included, the sample size of psychedelic trials was small, and psychedelic treatment is typically supplemented with psychological support, making it difficult to isolate the direct effects of psychedelics. Especially since “the subjective effects of psychedelics can lead to overestimation of the power of the treatment compared to placebo,” according to the researchers.
