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- Psychedelic Journal Watch
Psychedelic Journal Watch
Keeping health professionals abreast of the latest research in psychedelic medicine
I. Psilocybin for Clinicians with Depression Due to COVID-19 Pandemic
Psilocybin therapy significantly improves depression symptom among clinicians with depression from frontline care during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA).
In this randomized controlled trial conducted by researchers at the University of Washington, 30 clinicians with depression received either niacin (active placebo) or psilocybin in combination with psychotherapy.
One month after receiving psilocybin therapy, participants showed a 21-point reduction in depression symptoms on a 60-point scale. This improvement in symptoms was significantly better than participants who received niacin.
According to the authors, these findings “establish psilocybin therapy as a new paradigm of treatment for this postpandemic condition.”
II. Psychedelics for Existential Distress in Terminally Ill Patients
Psychedelics, particularly psilocybin and LSD, appear to improve depression and anxiety symptoms in terminally ill patients, according to the Journal of Psychopharmacology.
In this systematic review and meta-analysis of 9 randomized controlled trials, involving 606 participants, depression and anxiety symptoms (proxies of existential distress) were measured in terminally ill patients before and after receiving psychedelics (ketamine, MDMA, LSD, psilocybin).
Overall, psychedelics were effective for treatment of depression and anxiety in terminally ill patients. Psilocybin was most effective for depression and LSD was most effective for anxiety, thought head-to-head analysis between psychedelics was not statistically significant.
According to the authors, “further studies with larger sample sizes and comparing different psychedelic compounds are needed to further improve understanding of the therapeutical effects and settle safety concerns, to ultimately inform on the role of psychedelic treatment in end-life care and enable its application in clinical settings.”
III. Can Ketamine Treatment Lead to Addiction?
Ketamine treatment does not appear to carry a significant risk of addiction, according to the Journal of Psychopharmacology.
In this systematic review of 16 studies including 2174 participants, signs of ketamine addiction were assessed among patients receiving ketamine treatment for depression.
Only 4 out 2174 participants exhibited clear signs of ketamine tolerance or dependence.
According to the authors, “the review underscores the relative safety of ketamine treatment for adult patients with depression, emphasizing the importance of medically supervised administration, vigilant monitoring and judicious dosing.”
“The hallmark feature of the mystical experience, that we can now occasion with high probability, is the sense of the interconnectedness of all things – a sense of unity, a sense of openheartedness or love, and a noetic quality suggesting that this experience is more real than everyday waking consciousness."
-Roland Griffiths, Ph.D., founding Director of the Johns Hopkins Center on Psychedelic and Consciousness Research (July 19, 1946 – October 16, 2023)
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