Psilocybin for Treating Psychiatric Disorders: A Psychonaut Legend or a Promising Therapeutic Perspective?
Maurizio Coppola, Francesco Bevione, Raffaella Mondola
Journal of Xenobiotics February 7, 2022 DOI: 10.3390/jox12010004 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Addiction Anxiety LSD Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Hallucinogen Mood Psychotherapist |
| Citations | 29 |
| Key findings | Recent studies provide evidence supporting the therapeutic use of psilocybin for treating pathological anxiety, mood depressive disorder, and addiction. |
Abstract
Psychedelics extracted from plants have been used in religious, spiritual, and mystic practices for millennia. In 1957, Dr. Hofmann identified and synthesized the prodrug psilocybin, a substance present in more than 200 species of psychedelic mushrooms. Although there were limitations related to the scientific design of many studies, clinical observations performed during the 1950s and 1960s showed a potential therapeutic effect of psilocybin for patients affected by depressive symptoms, anxiety, and conversion disorder. Psilocybin was classed as a schedule I substance in 1970, but the fascination with psychedelics has remained almost unchanged over time, promoting a new scientific interest starting in the 1990s. Recent studies have provided further evidence supporting the suggestive hypothesis of the therapeutic use of psilocybin for treating various psychiatric disorders, including pathological anxiety, mood depressive disorder, and addiction.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on LSD for addiction, 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 | |
| Psychedelic Drugs in Biomedicine | 2017 | Review | |
| The Past and Future of Psychedelic Science: An Introduction to This Issue | 2019 | Review | |
| Dark Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) | 2018 | Review | |
| Psychedelics: Alternative and Potential Therapeutic Options for Treating Mood and Anxiety Disorders | 2022 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 24
- Psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Research November 1, 2023
- Psychedelics for alzheimer's disease-related dementia: Unveiling therapeutic possibilities and pathways Ageing Research Reviews February 1, 2024
- Single-dose (10 mg) psilocybin reduces symptoms in adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder: A pharmacological challenge study. Comprehensive Psychiatry July 1, 2025
- The safety of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy: A systematic review Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry December 13, 2024
- The molecular structure, vibrational spectra, solvation effect, non-covalent interactions investigations of psilocin. Spectrochimica acta. Part A, Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy November 5, 2024
and 19 more in the library
Cites 49
- Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial Journal of Psychopharmacology November 30, 2016
- Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial Journal of Psychopharmacology November 30, 2016
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study. The Lancet Psychiatry May 17, 2016
- Trial of Psilocybin versus Escitalopram for Depression New England Journal of Medicine April 14, 2021
- Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder JAMA Psychiatry November 4, 2020
and 44 more in the library