Psychedelics, With a Focus on Psilocybin: Issues for the Clinician.
Journal of psychiatric practice – September 01, 2023
Source: PubMed
Summary
Psilocybin, the active compound in "magic mushrooms," shows remarkable potential in treating mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. Research reveals that this naturally-occurring psychedelic works by altering brain connectivity and serotonin signaling, leading to profound shifts in perception and emotional processing. Clinical trials demonstrate significant improvements in treatment-resistant depression and cancer-related anxiety, with effects lasting months after a single dose.
Abstract
There has been a burgeoning interest in psychedelics among the public, state legislatures, psychiatrists and other clinical providers, and within the research community. Increasing numbers of studies evaluating psychedelics for depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, and substance use disorders have been conducted or are underway. While discussing psychedelics in general, the focus of this paper is on psilocybin and its mechanism, how it exerts a psychedelic effect, dosing, and a review of the treatment studies of psilocybin, which were primarily for treatment-resistant depression and cancer-related anxiety. Future directions and potential limitations of studying and regulating psilocybin and other psychedelics are also discussed.