Psilocybin for Depression and Anxiety in Cancer Patients
January 1, 2025 Tammie E. Quest, Ali John Zarrabi
In a randomized, double-blind, crossover trial, 51 cancer patients with depression and anxiety received a low dose (placebo) and a high dose of psilocybin combined with psychotherapy, with sessions spaced 5 weeks apart and follow-up at 6 months. The high-dose group showed large reductions in clinician- and self-rated depression and anxiety, along with improved quality of life, life meaning, optimism, and decreased death anxiety at 5 weeks. Around 80% of participants maintained significant improvements in depression and anxiety at 6-month follow-up. A mystical-type experience on the drug session day mediated the effect of psilocybin dose on therapeutic outcomes.