Antidepressant effects of a psychedelic experience in a large prospective naturalistic sample.
J Psychopharmacol August 1, 2022 Victoria Amalie Nygart, Lis Marie Pommerencke, Eline Haijen et al. 73 citations
Depressive symptoms decreased two and four weeks after a psychedelic experience in a naturalistic, non-clinical setting. The study tracked a large group of people who planned to use psychedelics outside a lab or clinic, including only those with depressive symptoms at the start. A medicinal motive, prior psychedelic use, drug dose, and having an emotional breakthrough during the experience were all linked to greater symptom reductions. The authors note potential sample and attrition biases and call for further controlled and observational studies to confirm the findings.