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Psilocybin shows mixed results for patients with treatment‐resistant depression

The Brown University Psychopharmacology Update July 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1002/pu.31461 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Phase 2b trial Peer reviewed
Population Patients with treatment-resistant depression
Duration 6-week follow-up after the first dose
Topics Depression Psilocybin
Key findings Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy produced clinically meaningful improvement in depressive symptoms relative to placebo, but did not show a significant effect on the primary outcome of treatment response at 6 weeks.

Abstract

Patients with treatment‐resistant depression who received psilocybin‐assisted psychotherapy showed clinically meaningful improvement in depressive symptoms relative to placebo, a Phase 2b trial has found. However, the study did not show a significant effect on the primary outcome of treatment response 6 weeks after the first of two doses of psilocybin. Study results were published online March 18, 2026 in JAMA Psychiatry .

Comparable studies

Other non-randomized and open-label trials on psilocybin for depression, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study. Patients with moderate-to-severe, unipolar, treatment-resistant major depression 2016 Open-label feasibility trial n = 12
Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up. Patients with severe, unipolar, treatment-resistant major depression 2017 Open-label trial n = 20
Quality of Acute Psychedelic Experience Predicts Therapeutic Efficacy of Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression Patients with treatment-resistant depression 2018 Clinical trial n = 20
Psilocybin therapy increases cognitive and neural flexibility in patients with major depressive disorder. Patients with major depressive disorder 2021 Open-label study n = 24
Increased amygdala responses to emotional faces after psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. Individuals diagnosed with moderate to severe, treatment-resistant depression 2017 Open-label study n = 20

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Depression Psilocybin Psychedelic-assisted therapy

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Psilocybin for depression