Psilocybin-assisted cognitive behavioral therapy for major depressive disorder: A pilot trial.
Journal of affective disorders June 15, 2026 Marc J Weintraub, Jessica K Jeffrey, Megan C Ichinose et al.
Pairing psilocybin with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is acceptable, feasible, and associated with substantial improvements in major depressive disorder. In a small open-label trial, 16 adults with at least moderately severe depression received two psilocybin doses (10 mg and 25 mg) and 12 CBT sessions over four months. All participants completed the 7-month study with no serious adverse events. By treatment end, 13 of 16 showed at least 25% improvement in depressive symptoms, and 9 had fully remitted. Gains in depressive symptoms and psychosocial functioning were sustained three months later, with large effect sizes (Hedges' g = 1.9–2.7). Improvements correlated with better emotion regulation and more positive cognitive schemas.