Psilocybin for the Treatment of Depression: A Promising New Pharmacotherapy Approach.
Gabrielle Agin-Liebes, Alan K. Davis
Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences 2022 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2021_282 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Psilocybin therapy |
| Topics | Depression Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Psychedelics |
| Citations | 16 |
| Key findings | Psilocybin therapy shows promise for treating depression with large effect sizes, and neuroimaging reveals dynamic effects on brain functional activity. |
Abstract
Depression is highly prevalent and represents the leading cause of global disability and primary contributor to overall global burden of disease. Several lines of evidence from early-phase experimental trials suggest that serotonergic psychedelics, particularly psilocybin, with therapeutic support show great promise in the treatment of depression with large effect sizes. Neuroimaging data have also revealed the dynamic effects of psilocybin on functional activity within and between neural regions. This chapter reviews the methods and findings from three small human laboratory clinical trials examining the effects of psilocybin therapy for patients with major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression. Insights from functional magnetic resonance imaging and qualitative analyses are also presented, as well as a discussion of study limitations and future directions for the research.
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 12
- Psilocybin-Assisted Compassion Focused Therapy for Depression Frontiers in Psychology March 25, 2022
- Psilocybin for major depressive disorder: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials Journal of Psychopharmacology October 31, 2024
- Psilocybin has a narrow therapeutic window as an antidepressant treatment. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry April 2, 2025
- Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in adults with depression – A literature review Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry September 24, 2025
- Qualitative Research on Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Mental Health Disorders: A Scoping Review Protocol October 7, 2024
and 7 more in the library
Cites 24
- 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 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
- Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder JAMA Psychiatry November 4, 2020
and 19 more in the library