Trial of Psilocybin vs Escitalopram for Depression
July 27, 2021 DOI: 10.64239/pi-qt2903 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Escitalopram |
| Topics | Depression Psilocybin |
| Key findings | Escitalopram was not better than placebo, but equivalent. |
Abstract
A mood disorder study published in the New England Journal of Medicine is a bullet unto itself. Use of escitalopram, not a placebo, for the comparison group—another rarity! And the results? Well, not better, but equivalent. Here comes big pharmaceutical company money.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on psilocybin for depression, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial Cancer patients with life-threatening diagnoses and symptoms of depression and/or anxiety | 2016 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 51 |
| Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial Patients with cancer-related anxiety and depression | 2016 | Double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial | n = 29 |
| Trial of Psilocybin versus Escitalopram for Depression Selected group of patients with depression | 2021 | Randomized controlled trial | |
| Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder Adults aged 21 to 75 years with major depressive disorder, not currently using... | 2020 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 24 |
| Single-Dose Psilocybin for a Treatment-Resistant Episode of Major Depression. Adults with treatment-resistant depression | 2022 | Phase 2 double-blind randomized controlled trial | n = 233 |