The Use of Psilocybin in the Treatment of Depressive Disorders: A Narrative Review
Lukasz Siwek, Marta Nowocien, Barbara Balajewicz, Angelika Samborska, Sara Szukalska, Marta Karczewska, Karolina Lichwala, Kamil Wroblewski, Paulina Wróblewska
Cureus January 31, 2026 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.102694 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Narrative review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Depressive disorders |
| Intervention | Psilocybin-assisted therapy |
| Topics | Depression Psilocybin Serotonin |
| Keywords | Narrative review Depression economics Disease Hallucinogen Adverse effect Psychotherapist Drug Medline Epidemiology Medical literature Review article |
| Key findings | Psilocybin-assisted therapy shows promising results with higher therapeutic efficacy compared to conventional treatments for depression, offering hope for a modern approach with sustained effects and minimal adverse effects. |
Abstract
Psilocybin is a psychoactive chemical compound that exerts its effects through the activation of serotonergic receptors. It occurs naturally in mushrooms of the genus Psilocybe. Despite its potential medical applications, this substance is regarded as a drug with no recognized medical use. Depression constitutes a psychiatric disorder of substantial global burden, affecting millions of individuals worldwide, with epidemiological data indicating a continuing upward trend in its prevalence. It is a complex disease entity that, despite years of research, remains not fully understood and constitutes a significant therapeutic challenge. Its pathogenesis is based on the interaction of biological, environmental, and social factors. It is estimated that by the year 2030, depression will become the leading cause of disability. The concern associated with this projection, together with human curiosity, has formed the foundation of numerous scientific studies conducted in recent years, aimed at identifying a breakthrough therapeutic approach that would expand the range of treatment options available to psychiatrists. The aim of this paper is to present the most recent reports on attempts to use the controversial substance psilocybin in the treatment of depression. Owing to promising research results demonstrating high therapeutic efficacy in comparison with conventional, currently recommended treatments, psilocybin-assisted therapy offers hope for the development of a modern therapeutic approach that provides the expected clinical outcomes, with a proven and more sustained therapeutic effect in treated patients, as well as a minimal number or complete absence of adverse effects.