New England Journal of Medicine
April 14, 2021
Robin Carhart‐Harris, Bruna Giribaldi, Rosalind Watts et al.
1,372 citations
In a selected group of patients, psilocybin did not show a significantly greater antidepressant effect than escitalopram based on depression scores at week 6. Secondary outcomes generally favored psilocybin, but these analyses were not corrected for multiple comparisons. The authors call for larger and longer trials to compare psilocybin with established antidepressants.
Frontiers in Pharmacology
March 31, 2022
Roberta Murphy, Roberta Murphy, Hannes Kettner et al.
229 citations
In a trial comparing psilocybin-assisted therapy to escitalopram for moderate-to-severe depression, a stronger therapeutic alliance with the therapist predicted greater emotional breakthrough and mystical-type experiences during psilocybin sessions, and these experiences in turn predicted larger reductions in depression symptoms six weeks after treatment. Emotional breakthrough during the first session strengthened the alliance before the second session, while a weaker alliance before the second session directly predicted higher depression scores at the endpoint, independent of the acute psychedelic experience. The findings suggest the therapeutic relationship plays a key role in shaping both the quality of the psychedelic experience and clinical outcomes.
Frontiers in Pharmacology
March 31, 2022
Roberta Murphy, Roberta Murphy, Hannes Kettner et al.
229 citations
In a trial comparing psilocybin-assisted therapy to escitalopram for moderate-to-severe depression, a stronger therapeutic alliance with the therapist predicted greater emotional breakthrough and mystical-type experiences during psilocybin sessions, and these experiences in turn predicted larger reductions in depression symptoms six weeks after treatment. Emotional breakthrough during the first session strengthened the alliance before the second session, while a weaker alliance before the second session directly predicted higher depression scores at the endpoint, independent of the acute psychedelic experience. The findings suggest the therapeutic relationship plays a key role in shaping both the quality of the psychedelic experience and clinical outcomes.
EClinicalMedicine
September 23, 2024
David Erritzoe, Tommaso Barba, Kyle T Greenway et al.
46 citations
In a clinical trial, psilocybin therapy showed comparable effectiveness to a common SSRI antidepressant for treating depression, with both treatments leading to significant reductions in depressive symptoms over a follow-up period. The findings suggest psilocybin may offer a viable alternative to standard antidepressant medication, though the study's design and sample size limit the strength of conclusions.
Psychological medicine
January 1, 2024
Brandon Weiss, Induni Ginige, Lu Shannon et al.
38 citations
In a trial comparing psilocybin therapy with the antidepressant escitalopram for moderate-to-severe major depressive disorder, both treatments led to personality changes in a direction consistent with improved mental health. Psilocybin was linked to decreases in neuroticism, introversion, disagreeableness, and impulsivity, and increases in absorption, conscientiousness, and openness at six weeks, with some changes lasting six months. Escitalopram was linked to decreases in neuroticism, disagreeableness, and impulsivity, and increases in openness at six weeks, with neuroticism remaining decreased at six months. No significant differences between the two treatments were observed, except that patients' pre-trial positive expectations for escitalopram moderated personality changes after that treatment, but not after psilocybin.
Frontiers in Psychology
May 11, 2023
Hannah Thurgur, Meg J. Spriggs, Ashleigh Murphy-Beiner et al.
13 citations
A framework called Access, Reciprocity and Conduct (ARC) is proposed to build an ethical and equitable infrastructure for psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT). ARC rests on three pillars: ensuring equal access to PAT for those needing mental health treatment, promoting safety for those delivering and receiving therapy, and respecting traditional and spiritual uses of psychedelic medicines. The framework is being developed through a dual-phase co-design approach, first co-creating ethics statements with stakeholders from research, industry, therapy, community, and Indigenous settings, then inviting broader collaborative review. The authors aim to spark dialogue and help organizations and practitioners address complex ethical questions in PAT.
Psychological Medicine
July 19, 2023
Brandon Weiss, Induni Ginige, Lu Shannon et al.
1 citation
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