Psilocybin and Mental Health Outcomes: Scoping Review with ☸SAIMSARA
SAIMSARA Journal June 15, 2026 DOI: 10.62487/saimsara7a54f680 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Scoping review Randomized Cross-sectional Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 271,241,797 |
| Population | Participants in 216 original studies on psilocybin and health, including clinical trials, epidemiological surveys, mechanistic experiments, and cross-sectional attitudinal studies |
| Intervention | Psilocybin-assisted therapy |
| Topics | Depression Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Mental health Psycinfo Mental illness Depression economics Clinical trial Clinical psychology Psychotherapist Medline Warrant Race biology Epidemiology |
| Key findings | The most consistent and replicated signal for psilocybin and health is rapid, large, and sustained reduction of depressive symptoms in clinical populations. |
Abstract
This scoping review aims to comprehensively map and synthesize the breadth of evidence from original research on the relationship between psilocybin and health, spanning clinical trials, epidemiological surveys, mechanistic experiments, and cross-sectional attitudinal studies. The review uses 145 references and builds its evidence map from 216 original studies with 271241797 total participants/sample observations (topic-deduplicated ΣN). This review indicates that the most consistent and replicated signal for psilocybin and health is rapid, large, and sustained reduction of depressive symptoms in clinical populations, with a randomized, waiting-list–controlled major depressive disorder (MDD) trial reporting Cohen's d=2.5 at week 5 and benefits in treatment-resistant depression persisting up to 6 months. Converging evidence suggests broader therapeutic potential for anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and existential distress, alongside preliminary signals for substance use disorders, though risks such as manic or psychotic episodes in vulnerable individuals warrant rigorous screening. A recurring caveat is that real-world benefits and access are moderated by race and ethnicity, with protective associations and program participation concentrated among White participants. These findings support a cautiously optimistic but equity-conscious role for psilocybin-assisted therapy in psychiatric and palliative care. Future work should prioritize controlled, prospective trials that test mechanisms and confirm durability while embedding culturally adapted, equitable access strategies.
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 |