Magic Mushroom and Psychotherapy Help Fight Against Depression
Highlights:
- Psilocybin, combined with psychotherapy, reduces severe depression symptoms
- Study shows the therapeutic benefit lasts up to six weeks post-treatment
- Findings highlight psychedelics' potential to foster deeper patient-therapist connections
A single dose of psilocybin, when combined with psychotherapy, can result in a "rapid, robust, and sustained reduction" in symptoms of severe depression (1✔).
Assessing Depression Relief With Magic Mushroom Therapy
Patients in the United States were given a 25mg dose of the chemical, found in magic mushrooms, or a B vitamin before spending seven to ten hours with therapists. During the session, they were advised to close their eyes and listen to a customized playlist.
They were then invited to talk about their experiences with the same therapists. Depression levels were assessed before therapy and five times throughout the next 43 days.
‘Groundbreaking study reveals psilocybin's promise when combined with psychotherapy to combat severe depression. A shift towards natural solutions? #MagicMushroomTherapy #MentalHealthMatters’
Psilocybin Relieves Depression for Upto 6-weeks
The study concluded that participants who got psilocybin had a "clinically significant reduction in depressive symptoms," and performed significantly better than those who received a placebo vitamin. According to the article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the benefit lasted for six weeks (2✔).The findings add to a growing body of data that psychedelics can help patients open up and connect with therapists on topics they frequently avoid or conceal.
"Psilocybin treatment was associated with a clinically significant sustained reduction in depressive symptoms and functional disability, without serious adverse events," researchers concluded. "These findings add to increasing evidence that psilocybin - when administered with psychological support - may hold promise as a novel intervention for major depressive disorder."
In July, Australia became the first country in the world to approve the use of MDMA and psilocybin, sometimes known as ecstasy and magic mushrooms, to treat post-traumatic stress disorder and treatment-resistant depression.
References:
- Single-Dose Psilocybin Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial - (https:pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37651119/)
- Understanding the changes to MDMA and psilocybin access - (https:www.tga.gov.au/news/blog/understanding-changes-mdma-and-psilocybin-access)
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APA
Dr. Trupti Shirole. (2023, September 04). Magic Mushroom and Psychotherapy Help Fight Against Depression. Medindia. Retrieved on Jul 08, 2024 from https://www.medindia.net/news/healthwatch/magic-mushroom-and-psychotherapy-help-fight-against-depression-213343-1.htm.
MLA
Dr. Trupti Shirole. "Magic Mushroom and Psychotherapy Help Fight Against Depression". Medindia. Jul 08, 2024. <https://www.medindia.net/news/healthwatch/magic-mushroom-and-psychotherapy-help-fight-against-depression-213343-1.htm>.
Chicago
Dr. Trupti Shirole. "Magic Mushroom and Psychotherapy Help Fight Against Depression". Medindia. https://www.medindia.net/news/healthwatch/magic-mushroom-and-psychotherapy-help-fight-against-depression-213343-1.htm. (accessed Jul 08, 2024).
Harvard
Dr. Trupti Shirole. 2023. Magic Mushroom and Psychotherapy Help Fight Against Depression. Medindia, viewed Jul 08, 2024, https://www.medindia.net/news/healthwatch/magic-mushroom-and-psychotherapy-help-fight-against-depression-213343-1.htm.