Skip to content

Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in adults with depression – A literature review

Marie Celine Dorczok, Gloria Mittmann, Thomas Ettl, Verena Steiner‐hofbauer

Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry September 24, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2025.111508 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Review Peer reviewed
Population People with treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder
Intervention structured psychological support
Topics Depression Psilocybin Psychedelic-assisted therapy
Citations 2
Key findings Psilocybin-assisted therapy combined with structured psychological support produces sustained reductions in depressive symptoms in treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder, with higher doses generally yielding stronger benefits.

Abstract

PAP combined with structured psychological support shows sustained reductions in depressive symptoms for treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder. Higher doses generally yield stronger benefits. While PAP holds significant potential as a holistic treatment, methodological limitations, such as heterogeneity in study designs, inconsistent levels of psychological support and difficulties in blinding due to the nature of the drug's effect, highlight the need for more standardized protocols in future studies to ensure reliable outcomes. More research is needed to better understand the mechanisms underlying its therapeutic effects.