A new study by the American Medical Association found that people with major depression saw a “clinically significant sustained” reduction in their symptoms following just one dose.
A team of 18 scientists from Yale University, Johns Hopkins University and NYU Langone Center for Psychedelic Medicine investigated the association by conducting a randomized trial involving 104 adult patients with major depression disorder (MDD).
The study was published on Thursday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Participants with major depression disorder were given 25mg of synthetic Psilocybin in 11 clinics in the U.S., and their symptoms were monitored over a six-week period.
Patients who received psychedelic assisted treatment in conjunction with psychotherapy sessions reported reduced depression symptoms within eight days. These effects “persisted throughout the six-week follow-up, without any attenuation.”
“Psilocybin given with psychological support had a rapid, sustained and antidepressant-like effect. This was measured by the change in depression symptom scores compared to an active placebo.”
Researchers used the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale, or MADRS. This scale measures depressive symptoms from 0 (lowest depression level) to 60.
Before treatment, participants’ scores averaged 35. By day 8, the group receiving psilocybin had seen their symptoms significantly decrease. They also saw an average score drop of 19 points at the end of their trial. The placebo group’s average score dropped only about seven points.
This study found that a 25mg dose #psilocybin combined with psychological support was well tolerated. https://t.co/VBHc43RjH3 pic.twitter.com/VORicUxV7U
JAMA (@JAMA_current August 31 2023
Researchers discovered that “Psilocybin improved psychosocial function compared to” the placebo. The researchers found that psilocybin was associated with improvements in a variety of exploratory endpoints, including decreased overall disease severity, reduced anxiety, and self-reported depression symptoms, as well as improved quality.
The psychedelic treatment didn’t cause apathy or numbness, it said. The psychedelic therapy did not cause any “serious side effects.”
No serious adverse treatment-related events have occurred.
The study’s authors stated that “these findings add to the evidence that psilocybin, when administered with psychological assistance, may hold promise as an innovative intervention for MDD.”
It is only one of many recent examples of research that has found therapeutic uses for psychedelics, as legislators and advocates work across the nation to implement reform.
A first-of its-kind analysis published in June provided novel insights into how psychedelic assisted therapy may help people who are struggling with alcoholism.
A study published earlier in the month showed that administered a small amount of MDMA with psilocybin or LSD appeared to reduce feelings such as guilt and fear, which are often side effects when consuming magic mushrooms or LSD.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse has recently begun soliciting proposals to fund a series research initiatives that explore the use of psychedelics to treat drug abuse.
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The post Psilocybin is Associated with ‘Significantly Reduced’ Symptoms of Major Depression After Just One Dose: American Medical Association Study first appeared on Marijuana moment.
