Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
January 22, 2026
preprint
Current evidence mainly shows psilocybin's effectiveness when combined with psychotherapy, but there is also evidence suggesting it can have beneficial effects with less intensive psychological support. Further research is needed to clarify its efficacy as a standalone treatment.
Nature Communications
January 22, 2026
Nicholas Gregory, Tyler E. Girard, Akila Ram et al.
5 citations
The psychedelic psilocybin may have lasting therapeutic effects for patients with chronic pain syndromes. Some preclinical data suggest these putative benefits derive from direct analgesic effects; however, this possibility has not been comprehensively tested in preclinical models. Here, we evaluated the analgesic properties of a single exposure to psilocybin at acute and chronic time points in...
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
January 22, 2026
preprint
Psilocybin therapy shows potential benefits for mental health conditions such as depression and substance use disorders, though further research is needed to confirm long-term safety and efficacy.
Neuropharmacology
January 21, 2026
Ana Domi, Erika Lucente, Davide Cadeddu et al.
1 citation
Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound with potential antidepressant effects. Although it has long been used by humans, primarily for recreational purposes, the molecular mechanisms underlying its actions remain incompletely understood. Here, we examined the acute effects of psilocin, the active metabolite of psilocybin, on excitatory neurotransmission in the prefrontal cortex...
BMC Psychology
January 21, 2026
Christina Chwyl, Angelica Spata, Will Lucas et al.
Findings indicate a "mindset-over-molecule" pattern wherein psychological context ("set") is more strongly associated with psychedelic outcomes than substance type alone.
Pharmacological Reports
January 20, 2026
Piotr Olejnik, Katarzyna Kamińska, Krystyna Gołembiowska et al.
INTRODUCTION: Psilocybin, a classic serotonergic psychedelic, has antidepressant, anxiolytic, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties. However, the immunomodulatory effects of psilocybin within the central nervous system, particularly on microglial activation, remain poorly understood. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of psilocybin on microglial activation markers and...
Nan fang yi ke da xue xue bao = Journal of Southern Medical University
January 20, 2026
Ke Xia, Tianming Gao
Depression is a complex and globally prevalent mental disorder, for which conventional antidepressant medications face limitations such as delayed onset and insufficient efficacy. Classic psychedelics, most notably psilocybin, have recently emerged as promising candidates for treatment of depression and demonstrated rapid, robust, and sustained antidepressant effects in controlled clinical...
Journal of Affective Disorders
January 20, 2026
Laura Mills, Susan L. Rossell, Sean Carruthers
Psilocybin has been reported to decrease depression symptoms among individuals with bipolar disorder (BD), but has also been associated with reports of mania, psychosis and increased depression. With increasing recreational use of psilocybin, and the potential for psilocybin to be used as a treatment for depression, a better understanding of the risks and benefits of this psychedelic among...
Psychedelic Medicine
January 18, 2026
Anthony L. Back, Bonnie A. Mcgregor, Leslie Lazar Thorn et al.
1 citation
Background: Psilocybin is a promising therapy for cancer-related distress, but existing individual treatment models are resource intensive. In this study, we designed and tested a group model of psilocybin therapy for people with metastatic cancer and cancer-related anxiety and depression. Method: Eligibility criteria included metastatic cancer, moderate-to-severe symptoms of anxiety or...
European Neuropsychopharmacology
January 16, 2026
Damian Swieczkowski, Aleksander Kwaśny, Krzysztof Sadko et al.
1 citation
Psilocybin-assisted therapies are increasingly studied for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD), and methodological rigor requires both pharmacological evaluation and consistent reporting of non-pharmacological variables that influence therapeutic outcomes. To address this need, the ReSPCT (Reporting of Setting in Psychedelic Clinical Trials) guidelines were...
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
January 15, 2026
Justyna K. Hinchcliffe, Christopher W. Thomas, Gary Gilmour et al.
preprint
Abstract The serotonergic psychedelic, psilocybin, shows potential for rapid and sustained antidepressant effects but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Using a chronic interferon-alpha–induced rat model of depression, we show acute psilocybin (0.3 mg/kg) reverses impaired reward-induced biases within 24hrs, with effects enduring for at least 7 days. This suggests psilocybin can restore...
January 15, 2026
Benjamin Kelmendi, Thomas G. Adams, Terence H. W. Ching et al.
preprint
Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects 2-3% of the population worldwide. 40-60% of patients do not respond to first-line interventions. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of a single dose of psilocybin in patients with treatment-resistant OCD.Methods: In this phase 2, randomized, double-blind trial, we randomly assigned 28 adults with treatment-resistant OCD to receive a...
Psychiatric Research and Clinical Practice
January 14, 2026
Celia Faye Jacobsen, Dea Siggaard Stenbæk, Stig Poulsen et al.
3 citations
A key distinction among clinical trials on psilocybin treatments, for example, those targeting depression, has been whether the psilocybin dosing session is combined with bona fide psychotherapy or with what is referred to as “psychological support” (1-3). The most developed model of psychological support is the Compass Psychological Support Model (CPSM; 1). Kirlić and colleagues specifically...
Psychedelic Medicine
January 12, 2026
Kelsey T. Laird, Prabha Siddarth, Ashley Ramos et al.
Objective: Emerging evidence suggests that mystical experiences mediate the therapeutic effects of psychedelic-assisted therapy. The current study examines associations between mystical experiences and components of “set” (positive mindset, participant intentions, and spirituality) and “setting” (perceived positivity of the dosing environment) in the context of psilocybin-assisted therapy for...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
January 6, 2026
Connor J. Maltby, Adam K. Klein, Enya Paschen et al.
3 citations
Background: Psilocybin has shown rapid and sustained antidepressant effects in patients with major depressive disorder, yet the neurobiological mechanisms underlying these outcomes remain unclear. Aims: This study aimed to bridge clinical and preclinical findings by investigating the relationships between 5-HT 2A receptor occupancy (RO) achieved after administration of psilocybin and its...
Journal of Eating Disorders
January 3, 2026
Jesse Dallery, Jennifer L Miller, Jeff Boissoneault et al.
1 citation
Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is the most prevalent eating disorder and is associated with psychiatric comorbidities, health impairments, and decreased quality of life. Emerging evidence suggests that psilocybin-assisted therapy may promote cognitive and emotional flexibility and disrupt maladaptive behavioral patterns, making it a promising candidate for BED treatment. This open-label pilot...
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 2, 2026
Frederick D. Sancilio, Maghsoud Dariani, Purvi Chavda et al.
Anxiety disorders are chronic health conditions affecting the quality of life of millions of people. Psilocin, the active moiety of psilocybin, provides an anxiolytic effect; however, when orally administered as psilocybin, it only offers a moderate level of bioavailability and less predictable pharmacokinetics, potentially making effects after absorption variable and increasing the risk of...
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
January 2, 2026
Jason C. Slot, Alexander J. Bradshaw, Bryn T. M. Dentinger et al.
preprint
Abstract Production of the psychoactive compound psilocybin is a defining feature of the genus Psilocybe , commonly referred to as “psychedelic mushrooms”. However, Psilocybe fuscofulva is a striking exception within Psilocybe sensu stricto as it lacks the stereotypical blue bruising characteristic of the genus, and psilocybin has not been detected in the species.To investigate the evolutionary...
BMC Psychology
January 2, 2026
Reza Moshfeghinia, Sara Mostafavi, Kimia Jazi et al.
2 citations
Psilocybin may reduce depressive symptoms in cancer patients, with mixed effects on anxiety and time-dependent improvements in spiritual well-being and (in single-arm data) quality of life. Given the small number of studies, high heterogeneity, challenges with blinding/expectancy, and frequent co-intervention with psychotherapy, these findings are preliminary. Larger, rigorously blinded trials...
2026
Zarmeen Zahid, Brandon Weiss, Sandeep Manel Nayak
preprint
This nightmare-focused study was conducted based on data collected in an open-label, controlled treatment pilot trial conducted at the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research (CPCR) under an approved protocol (IRB00407008; NCT06407635). Participants completed screening, baseline assessment, four preparatory sessions, two psilocybin dosing sessions, seven post-session...