Psilocybin in Treatment-Resistant Depression
Bertha K. Madras
New England Journal of Medicine November 2, 2022 DOI: 10.1056/nejme2210975 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Adults with major depressive disorder |
| Topics | LSD Psilocybin Serotonin Depression |
| Keywords | Hallucinogen Depression economics Placebo Pharmacology Alternative medicine |
| Citations | 36 |
| Key findings | Existing antidepressants are modestly more effective than placebo and have many side effects, prompting renewed interest in psilocybin and LSD as potential treatments for depression. |
Abstract
Depression ranks first among psychiatric disorders that dominate the global burden of disease, posing a substantial personal strain and economic drain on nations.1 At least 30 drugs are Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–approved to treat depression,2 yet a systematic review and meta-analysis of 22 antidepressants concluded that although they were more effective than placebo in adults with major depressive disorder, effect sizes were mostly modest and tempered by an array of side effects.3 Because medicine abhors a therapeutic vacuum, the hallucinogens (psychedelic agents) psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) are being revisited as potential candidate medications decades after their demise in . . .
In the evidence
This study is part of the evidence base for a synthesis in the library. Here is how each one recorded it.
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Existing antidepressants are modestly more effective than placebo and have many side effects, prompting renewed interest in psilocybin and LSD as potential treatments for depression.
Synthesized
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on LSD for depression, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic psychedelics: An integrative review of epidemiology, therapeutics, mystical experience, and brain network function. General population | 2019 | Integrative review | |
| Registered clinical studies investigating psychedelic drugs for psychiatric disorders. Registered clinical trials on clinicaltrials.gov evaluating psychedelics for... | 2021 | Review | n = 70 |
| Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in the Context of Serious Illness. Palliative care clinicians and patients | 2022 | Review | |
| Serotonergic psychedelics for depression: What do we know about neurobiological mechanisms of action? | 2023 | Narrative review | |
| Role of psilocybin in the treatment of depression | 2016 | Review |