Classic Psychedelics for the Treatment of Depressive Disorders: An Update for Psychiatrists in Training
Lawrence Canale, Dhvanit Raval, Preet Chatha, Katie Penn, Claudia Weber, Catherine Stout, Jeremy Weleff
American Journal of Psychiatry Residents Journal September 8, 2023 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp-rj.2023.190103 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Double-blind Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Depression |
| Key findings | The authors report that many modern clinical trials of classic serotonergic psychedelics such as psilocybin, ayahuasca, LSD, and DMT have shown promise in treating depressive disorders, and they argue that future trials should elucidate severe adverse effects and explore efficacy using larger, double-blinded designs. |
Abstract
Psychedelics as therapeutic agents have generated significant attention from clinicians and media sources in recent years. The authors provide an update to the psychiatric trainee on the evidence for psychedelics in the treatment of major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression. Many modern clinical trials of the classic, serotonergic psychedelics, such as psilocybin, ayahuasca, lysergic acid diethylamide, and N,N-dimethyltryptamine, have shown promise in the treatment of depressive disorders. Future clinical trials should elucidate severe adverse effects and explore the efficacy of psychedelics utilizing larger, double-blinded trials.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on depression, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Synaptic Dysfunction in Depression: Potential Therapeutic Targets | 2012 | Review | |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: A New Approach to Preventing Relapse | 2003 | Review | |
| Synthesizing the Evidence for Ketamine and Esketamine in Treatment-Resistant Depression: An International Expert Opinion on the Available Evidence and Implementation Adults with treatment-resistant depression | 2021 | Review | |
| Classic psychedelics: An integrative review of epidemiology, therapeutics, mystical experience, and brain network function. General population | 2019 | Integrative review | |
| Sudarshan Kriya Yogic Breathing in the Treatment of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression: Part II—Clinical Applications and Guidelines | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cites 19
- 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
- Single-Dose Psilocybin for a Treatment-Resistant Episode of Major Depression. New England Journal of Medicine November 3, 2022
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up. Psychopharmacology November 8, 2017
and 14 more in the library