Current psychiatry reports
October 1, 2022
Damien Prouzeau, Ismaël Conejero, Peter L Voyvodic et al.
32 citations
Psilocybin shows large, rapid, and persistent clinical effects in treating resistant or end-of-life depression, with good tolerance and mild side effects limited to a few hours after dosing. However, studies to date have had small sample sizes, and one clinical trial against escitalopram did not show significant superiority of psilocybin on the main outcome. The neurobiological mechanisms, which differ from those of SSRI antidepressants, remain mostly unknown. Psilocybin is a promising alternative, but further research with larger samples and comparisons to standard treatments is needed.
Journal of Psychopharmacology
May 12, 2025
Clémentine Estric, Thomas Duron, Sarah Kabani et al.
10 citations
Psychedelics show promise for treating psychiatric disorders, but how participants are prepared (set) and the environment where the drug is taken (setting) vary widely across studies. This systematic review examined 27 articles covering 25 clinical trials with 763 participants. Participant selection and creating a safe environment were consistently reported, but other elements like monitor training (52% of studies), controlling visual distractions (64%), and ensuring a pleasant environment (68%) were less consistently described. Psilocybin was the most studied psychedelic (47% of trials). The lack of standardization in set and setting limits comparability and reproducibility, and harmonizing these aspects would improve future research.
European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists
August 26, 2025
Ismael Conejero, Raquel Alvarez García, Alejandro Porras-Segovia et al.
2 citations
In a naturalistic study across four Madrid hospitals, 55% of 65 patients with treatment-resistant depression who received esketamine as an augmentation treatment achieved remission over follow-up. Among those who completed the standard protocol, remission rates rose to 67%, and to 70% for those receiving more than 19 administrations. Remission was associated with completing the standard protocol and with the absence of dissociative symptoms. Receiving more than 19 esketamine administrations increased the odds of remission. Adverse effects did not affect treatment continuation.