Clinical potential of psilocybin as a treatment for mental health conditions
Jeremy Daniel, Margaret Haberman
Mental Health Clinician 2017 DOI: 10.9740/mhc.2017.01.024 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Anxiety Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Hallucinogen Mood |
| Citations | 78 |
| Key findings | Psilocybin shows clinical potential for treating several mental health conditions, including depressed mood, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, alcohol use disorder, and tobacco use disorder. |
Abstract
Abstract Psilocybin, a classic hallucinogen, is a chemical produced by more than 100 species of mushrooms worldwide. It has high affinity for several serotonin receptors, including 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A, and 5-HT2C, located in numerous areas of the brain, including the cerebral cortex and thalamus. With legislation introduced in 1992, more work is being done to further understand the implications of psilocybin use in a number of disease states. Certain mental health disease states and symptoms have been studied, including depressed mood, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, alcohol use disorder, and tobacco use disorder. This article provides an in-depth review of the study design and results of psilocybin in each of these conditions and discusses the clinical potential for use.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on psilocybin for anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychedelics as anti-inflammatory agents Animal models and cellular studies | 2018 | Review | |
| Ayahuasca: Pharmacology, neuroscience and therapeutic potential | 2016 | Review | |
| Psychedelic Drugs in Biomedicine | 2017 | Review | |
| A review of emerging therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs in the treatment of psychiatric illnesses | 2020 | Review | |
| Psychedelics and health behaviour change | 2021 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 61
- The Therapeutic Potential of Psilocybin Molecules May 15, 2021
- Molecular Mechanisms of Psilocybin and Implications for the Treatment of Depression CNS Drugs November 17, 2021
- The emerging role of psilocybin and MDMA in the treatment of mental illness Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics September 21, 2020
- Classic and non‐classic psychedelics for substance use disorder: A review of their historic, past and current research Addiction Neuroscience June 22, 2022
- Assessing the effects of methodological differences on outcomes in the use of psychedelics in the treatment of anxiety and depressive disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis Journal of Psychopharmacology September 14, 2021
and 56 more in the library
Cites 17
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Pilot Study of Psilocybin Treatment for Anxiety in Patients With Advanced-Stage Cancer Archives of General Psychiatry September 7, 2010
- Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 23, 2012
- Psilocybin-assisted treatment for alcohol dependence: A proof-of-concept study Journal of Psychopharmacology January 13, 2015
- Pilot study of the 5-HT2AR agonist psilocybin in the treatment of tobacco addiction Journal of Psychopharmacology September 11, 2014
and 12 more in the library