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Psilocybin therapy appears as effective as escitalopram, small study finds

Pharmaceutical journal/˜The œpharmaceutical journal 2021 DOI: 10.1211/pj.2021.1.91592 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Phase II randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed
Population Adults with depression
Interventions Psilocybin therapy Escitalopram
Topics Anxiety Psilocybin
Keywords Escitalopram Hallucinogen Psychotherapist Antidepressant
Key findings Psilocybin therapy appears to be at least as effective as escitalopram in treating depression.

Abstract

Psilocybin therapy appears to be at least as effective as escitalopram in treating depression, findings from a small phase II study published in the New England Journal of Medicine have indicated (15 April 2021)​[1]​. Researchers compared two sessions of psychedelic psilocybin therapy, delivered in a specialist clinical setting, with a course of the selective serotonin […]

Comparable studies

Other randomized controlled trials on psilocybin for anxiety, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial Cancer patients with life-threatening diagnoses and symptoms of depression and/or anxiety 2016 Randomized controlled trial n = 51
Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial Patients with cancer-related anxiety and depression 2016 Double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial n = 29
Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Hallucinogen-naïve adults reporting regular participation in religious or spiritual... 2006 Double-blind study n = 36
Pilot Study of Psilocybin Treatment for Anxiety in Patients With Advanced-Stage Cancer Adults with advanced-stage cancer and anxiety 2010 Double-blind, placebo-controlled study n = 12
Acute, subacute and long-term subjective effects of psilocybin in healthy humans: a pooled analysis of experimental studies Healthy human subjects 2010 Pooled analysis of double-blind placebo-controlled experimental studies n = 110

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Anxiety Psilocybin Depression Psychedelic-assisted therapy Serotonin

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