Psilocybin for Depression: From Credibility to Feasibility, What’s Missing?
Antonio Munafò, Davide Arillotta, Guido Mannaioni, Fabrizio Schifano, Renato Bernardini, Giuseppina Cantarella
Pharmaceuticals December 31, 2022 DOI: 10.3390/ph16010068 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Depression Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Clinical trials Ethical concerns Methodological issues Magic mushroom treatment Behavioral health trials Mood disorder intervention Trial design |
| Citations | 15 |
| Key findings | Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy may provide significant and sustained alleviation of depressive symptoms, but study limitations and ethical, legal, and methodological issues remain. |
Abstract
Psilocybin has been suggested as a promising transdiagnostic treatment strategy for a wide range of psychiatric disorders. Recent findings showed that psychedelic-assisted/”psycholitic” psychotherapy should provide significant and sustained alleviation of depressive symptoms. However, to date, there have been several study limitations (e.g., small sample sizes, blinding, limited follow-up, highly screened treatment populations) and some health/political issues, including practitioners’ experience, lack of standardized protocols, psychedelics’ legal status, ethical concerns, and potential psychological/psychopathological/medical untoward effects. The focus here is on a range of clinical and methodological issues, also aiming at outlining some possible suggestions. We are confident that newer evidence, more precise protocols, and eventual reclassification policies may allow a better understanding of the real potential of psilocybin as a transdiagnostic therapeutic molecule.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on psilocybin 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 | |
| Molecular Mechanisms of Psilocybin and Implications for the Treatment of Depression | 2021 | Review | |
| Registered clinical studies investigating psychedelic drugs for psychiatric disorders. Registered clinical trials on clinicaltrials.gov evaluating psychedelics for... | 2021 | Review | n = 70 |
| Depression, Mindfulness, and Psilocybin: Possible Complementary Effects of Mindfulness Meditation and Psilocybin in the Treatment of Depression. A Review | 2020 | Review | |
| From psychiatry to neurology: Psychedelics as prospective therapeutics for neurodegenerative disorders | 2021 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 11
- Stimulant and hallucinogenic novel psychoactive substances; an update Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology November 2, 2023
- A dose of therapy with psilocybin - A meta-analysis of the relationship between the amount of therapy hours and treatment outcomes in psychedelic-assisted therapy General Hospital Psychiatry August 5, 2025
- The Emergence of Psilocybin in Psychiatry and Neuroscience Pharmaceuticals April 9, 2025
- Assessing potential of psilocybin for depressive disorders Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs October 3, 2023
- Ethical issues with psychedelic-assisted treatments in psychiatry: A systematic scoping review Psychological Medicine 2025
and 6 more in the library
Cites 67
- 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 can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- 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
and 62 more in the library