The largest clinical study for testing the effects of psilocybin on treatment-resistant depression found it can reduce the symptoms of the disease and lead to long-lasting benefits.
Psilocybin is the hallucinogenic compound found within magic mushrooms and has been studied in the past for its ability to treat mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and addiction. But the results of this study show significant, large-scale results and were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The study was run by COMPASS Pathways and found that after a single dose of psilocybin therapy, “approximately 30% of patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) were in remission at week 3… with a sustained response seen through week 12. ”
Dr. Guy Goodwin, Chief Medical Officer of COMPASS Pathways, stated, “We saw positive results in a particularly difficult-to-treat group of patients, and the highest dose of COMP360 psilocybin had the greatest impact on people’s depression. This suggests that COMP360 psilocybin has a true pharmacological effect, a finding that is critical for it to be recognized as a new treatment option in the future.”
He also said that “Over 100 million people around the world suffer with treatment-resistant depression, and haven’t found relief from existing therapies.” Magic Mushrooms could be a potential new method for the treatment of depression and other mental health issues given these overwhelmingly positive results.
Featured image credit Hans Veth
