After a clinical trial of psilocybin-assisted therapy for major depressive disorder, most participants reported lasting depression remission and improved well-being.
By Emily Caldwell
Ohio State News
caldwell.151@osu.edu
Two-thirds of clinical trial participants treated with psilocybin-assisted therapy for major depressive disorder were in complete remission from their depression five years later, a new study has found.
The study involved participants from a clinical trial published in 2021 that found psilocybin (the primary psychedelic substance in magic mushrooms) combined with psychotherapy in adults was effective at treating major depressive disorder.
An average of five years after the clinical trial, a majority of participants reported lasting depression remission as well as improvement in a range of well-being measures.
“We found that 67% were in remission at five years compared to 58% at one year. We also saw that across the board, anxiety, depression, global functioning, self-reported depression, all of these measures were showing the same signal of continued improvement up to five years later,” said lead author Alan Davis, associate professor and director of the Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education (CPDRE) in The Ohio State University College of Social Work.