Psilocybin increases emotional empathy in patients with major depression.
Johannes Jungwirth, Robin von Rotz, Isabel Dziobek, Franz X. Vollenweider, Katrin H. Preller
Molecular Psychiatry June 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02875-0 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Placebo-controlled Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 51 |
| Population | Depressed patients |
| Intervention | Psilocybin-assisted therapy |
| Dose | 0.215 mg/kg body weight |
| Duration | Single dose, 4-week psychological support intervention, with follow-up at 2 days, 1 week, and 2 weeks after administration |
| Topics | Depression Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Mental health treatment Depression research Social connection Psilocybin therapy Emotional empathy |
| Citations | 19 |
| Registration | NCT03715127 |
| Key findings | Psilocybin-assisted therapy significantly improved explicit emotional empathy toward positive stimuli in depressed patients compared to placebo for at least two weeks. |
Abstract
Empathy plays a crucial role in interpersonal relationships and mental health. It is decreased in a variety of psychiatric disorders including major depression. Psilocybin, a promising candidate for treating depression, has been shown to acutely increase emotional empathy in healthy volunteers. However, no study has investigated this effect and its relevance for symptom improvement in a clinical population. This study examines the enduring effects of psilocybin-assisted therapy on empathy in depressed patients using a randomized, placebo-controlled design. Fifty-one depressed patients were randomly assigned to receive a single dose of psilocybin (0215 mg/kg body weight) or a placebo embedded in a 4-week psychological support intervention. Empathy was measured using the Multifaceted Empathy Test at baseline and 2 days, 1 week, and 2 weeks after substance administration. Changes in empathy were compared between treatment conditions. Patients who received psilocybin showed significant improvements in explicit emotional empathy driven by an increase in empathy towards positive stimuli compared to the placebo group for at least two weeks. This study highlights the potential of psychedelics to enhance social cognition in individuals living with depression and contributes to a better understanding of the psychological mechanisms of action of psychedelics. Further studies are necessary to investigate the interaction between social cognition and clinical efficacy.The trial is registered on clinicaltrials.gov (Identifier: NCT03715127) and KOFAM (Identifier: SNCTP000003139).
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 |