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- Psychedelic Journal Watch
Psychedelic Journal Watch
Keeping health professionals abreast of the latest research in psychedelic medicine
I. Psilocybin for Severe Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD)
One dose of psilocybin significantly reduces depression symptoms in patients with severe TRD, according to The American Journal of Psychiatry.
Severe TRD is defined as Major Depressive Disorder in patients who have tried at least 4 antidepressant therapies. In this 12-week, open-label trial, 12 participants with severe TRD received one large dose of psilocybin (25mg).
12 weeks after receiving psilocybin, participants demonstrated a mean 17-point reduction in depression symptoms on a 60-point scale. Individuals who also had PTSD (7 participants had PTSD in addition to severe TRD) demonstrated less of an antidepressant response.
According to the authors, this study demonstrates “efficacy and safety of psilocybin in severe TRD and supports further study of psychedelics in this population, including consideration of PTSD interaction effects.”
II. Psilocybin Effects on Mood and Personality
Psilocybin reduces symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD and neuroticism, according to the Journal of Psychopharmacology.
In this naturalistic, open-label trial, 83 participants received psilocybin-assisted therapy; and measures of mood and personality were collected at baseline, 1 week, and 3 months.
One high dose of psilocybin in combination with psychotherapy reduced symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD and neuroticism after 3 months. And individuals who reported a mystical experience, emotional breakthrough or personal growth were likely to experience positive changes.
According to the authors these findings indicate, “that individual psilocybin-assisted therapy has the potential for beneficial effects on mood and personality … [and] highlights the importance of subjective experiences … in moderating this effect.”
III. Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy for Substance Use Disorders
Psilocybin-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder has the best evidence among psychedelic treatments for substance use disorders, according to Addiction.
In this systematic review of 37 open-label, randomized controlled trials, and observational studies, involving 2035 participants, individuals received either LSD, mescaline, psilocybin, ayahuasca, ketamine, ibogaine or MDMA for treatment of a substance use disorder.
Psilocybin-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder showed the greatest evidence of efficacy among all psychedelic-assisted treatments for substance use disorders.
According to the authors, “future research of psychedelic-assisted treatment should report all safety events; screen for person-level characteristics indicating that psychedelic-assisted substance use disorders treatment is contraindicated; strive to mitigate blinding of participants to interventions; use factorial designs for drug and psychotherapy randomized controlled trials; and build consensus for a field-specific Core Outcome Set.”
In 2018-19, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for studies of psilocybin in depressive disorders.
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