From trial to clinic: psilocybin’s efficacy in routine treatment-resistant depression
The Lancet Regional Health - Europe July 15, 2026 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2026.101780 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 19 |
| Population | Adults with treatment-resistant depression |
| Intervention | Psilocybin |
| Topics | Depression Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Depression economics Clinical trial Medline Disease Population |
| Key findings | Among 19 adults with treatment-resistant depression treated with psilocybin in routine clinical practice, clinician-rated depressive symptoms decreased substantially, with a Montgomery–Åsberg reduction of approximately 11 points and Hedges' g ≈ 1.4. |
Abstract
The question of whether the striking antidepressant effects of psilocybin reported in randomised trials can be reproduced in everyday care remains largely unanswered. This is because those trials enrol highly selected patients, withdraw concomitant medication and deliver treatment under tightly standardised protocols. In this issue, Jungwirth et al. provide one of the first responses from routine clinical practice.1 Among 19 adults with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) who were treated with psilocybin under Switzerland’s limited medical use framework, clinician-rated symptoms decreased substantially (a Montgomery–Åsberg reduction of approximately 11 points; Hedges’ g ≈ 1.4).
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on psilocybin for depression, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression: fMRI-measured brain mechanisms. Patients with treatment-resistant depression | 2017 | Observational cohort | n = 19 |
| Psilocybin with psychological support improves emotional face recognition in treatment-resistant depression Patients with treatment-resistant depression and healthy controls | 2017 | Observational cohort | n = 33 |
| More Realistic Forecasting of Future Life Events After Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression Patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) | 2018 | Observational cohort | n = 15 |
| Natural speech algorithm applied to baseline interview data can predict which patients will respond to psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. 17 patients with treatment-resistant depression and 18 untreated age-matched healthy... | 2018 | Observational cohort with machine learning classification | n = 35 |
| Brain dynamics predictive of response to psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. Responders and non-responders to psilocybin therapy for depression | 2024 | Observational cohort |