Institute for Advanced Diagnostics and Treatment, Sheppard Pratt Health System, Baltimore (Aaronson, Miller, LaPratt, Swartz, Shoultz, Lauterbach); Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland, Baltimore (Aaronson, van der Vaart, Lauterbach); VA Palo Alto Health Care System and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA (Suppes); Departments of Psychiatry and Radiology, Columbia University, New York (Sackeim).
3 papers in the library · 132 citations · publishing 2023-2026
A single 25 mg dose of synthetic psilocybin combined with psychotherapy produced rapid and sustained reductions in depression symptoms in people with bipolar II disorder who had not responded to at least two prior treatments. Fifteen participants completed the trial; depression scores on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale dropped by an average of 24 points three weeks after dosing, and 12 of 15 met both response and remission criteria by the 12-week endpoint. Mania and suicide risk scores did not increase. The open-label design limits certainty, but the results suggest psilocybin may be safe and effective for bipolar II depression.
In an open-label study, psilocybin appears effective and safe for people with severe treatment-resistant depression, supporting further research into psychedelics for this group, including how post-traumatic stress disorder may affect outcomes.
A single 25-mg dose of a synthetic psilocybin formulation, combined with psychological support, rapidly and durably reduced chronic suicidal ideation and depressive symptoms in 20 adults with major depressive disorder who had not responded to at least two prior antidepressant treatments. Suicidal ideation scores dropped significantly by week 1, remained reduced at week 3 (the primary endpoint), and were still lower at week 12, when 70% of participants had minimal or no suicidal ideation. Depressive symptoms also improved substantially. No serious adverse events occurred. The findings are preliminary and require confirmation in larger randomized trials.