Therapeutic Potential of Psychedelics in Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders, Part 2
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry February 23, 2021 Avinash Hosanagar, Joseph Cusimano, Rajiv Radhakrishnan 1 citation
Psychedelics are being studied as treatments for psychiatric disorders. The FDA has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designations for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD and for psilocybin with psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder. Clinical trials are also exploring psychedelics for eating disorders, cognitive impairment, and substance use disorders. This review covers evidence for psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, and ayahuasca. Open-label studies of psilocybin for obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, and substance use disorders show promising results. Randomized controlled trials of psilocybin for depression and anxiety in advanced cancer found that high-dose psilocybin produced large decreases in depression and anxiety, increased quality of life, and decreased death anxiety, with about 80% of participants sustaining the response at 6-month follow-up.