A randomized, placebo-controlled trial is testing the feasibility of psilocybin-assisted therapy for people with major depressive disorder who have not responded to at least two prior treatments. Up to 60 participants in London, UK receive either 25 mg psilocybin or a placebo in a single dosing session, along with psychological therapy. The primary outcomes are recruitment rates, dropout rates, and variance in depression scores measured by the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale at 3 and 6 weeks. The trial also collects neuroimaging and omics data and offers an open-label extension dose of psilocybin.
A novel 10-item tool, the Voice Characterisation Checklist (VoCC), reliably assesses how much people personify the voices they hear. Among 170 participants who heard distressing voices, 94% reported some degree of voice personification. Most described voices as distinct auditory experiences with basic attributes like gender and age, and many attributed intentions and personalities to them. However, fewer than half attributed mental states to the voice or identified a known historical relationship. The VoCC showed acceptable internal consistency and good inter-rater reliability, making it useful for testing whether voice characterisation influences treatment outcomes in therapies like AVATAR therapy.