A single 25-mg dose of psilocybin, administered alongside one-to-one and group therapeutic support, was safe and feasible for patients with curable and noncurable cancer who also had major depressive disorder. In a phase 2 open-label trial with 30 participants, no serious adverse events or suicidality occurred, and mild side effects like nausea and headache were as expected. Depression severity scores dropped by an average of 19.1 points from baseline to eight weeks after treatment. Eighty percent of participants showed a sustained response, and half achieved full remission of depressive symptoms by week one that lasted for eight weeks. The group-oriented format and compact delivery in a community cancer center may add to therapeutic gains.
Directly observing therapeutic connection during psilocybin-assisted therapy is feasible. In a clinical trial, three coders independently reviewed audio and video from four 8-hour psilocybin administration sessions, identifying 372 moments of therapeutic connection. Eighty-three percent of these moments were detected by at least two coders, and 41% by all three. Coders used both audible cues (speech prosody, words) and visible cues (body movements, eye gaze, touch) in 51% of observed events. The expressions of connection varied as the drug's effects on consciousness changed over time. The findings suggest that evaluating both sound and video is necessary to capture the full range of therapeutic connection.
A single dose of psilocybin combined with group and individual psychological support led to long-term relief from depression in cancer patients with major depressive disorder. At 18 months, 64.2% of patients showed a clinical response (at least 50% reduction in depression scores) and 57.1% achieved full remission. Depression and anxiety severity scores continued to decrease from baseline to 8 weeks and through 18 months. The findings suggest psilocybin-assisted therapy may be an effective treatment for depression in people with cancer.