A systematic review of five randomized controlled trials involving 472 adults with major depressive disorder found that psilocybin improved depressive symptoms in three of the five studies and reduced anxiety symptoms in four of the five studies compared to controls. Suicidal ideation improved in only one trial. Discontinuation rates were similar between psilocybin (2–13%) and control groups (4–21%). The most common adverse drug reaction in both groups was headache. The authors conclude that psilocybin is effective for depressive and anxiety symptoms but note that long-term efficacy and safety require further investigation in larger trials.
Transitional-age youth with major depressive disorder experience pervasive abnormalities in how they perceive time and space. In a descriptive phenomenological qualitative study at a psychiatric hospital in China, 17 participants described five overarching themes: disturbance of time order, slackening of the flow of time, vital inhibition, desynchronisation of social rhythms, and disturbance of lived space. These disturbances shape their sense of self, personal development, relationships, and engagement with the world. Desynchronisation of social rhythms appears to be a unique and developmentally salient challenge for this group. The findings expand phenomenological understandings of major depressive disorder and highlight developmental vulnerabilities during this critical life phase.