Sixty seconds on . . . psilocybin
BMJ – May 18, 2016
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
A significant advance in mental health: Psilocybin, a potent hallucinogen, shows remarkable promise for severe, treatment-resistant depression. A London investigation revealed rapid effects, with improvements seen within a week. Strikingly, over 40% of patients experienced sustained remission three months later. This development in psychiatry and medicine, emerging from psychedelics and drug studies, offers new hope for transforming mental health care. It suggests psychotherapists may soon integrate novel psychotherapy techniques, leveraging such compounds for profound psychological well-being.
Abstract
Not so fast. There’s a long way to go. But a study in London has shown that the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, psilocybin, may be effective against treatment resistant depression. Its effects were quick—within a week—and more than 40% of the patients treated were still in remission three months later.1 Yes, as far as it goes. These were people whose depression had …