Skip to main content

The largest psilocybin study yet suggests mushrooms can ease depression symptoms

Here's what new research says about taking mushrooms for depression

In recent years, psychedelic therapy has emerged as one of the hottest trends in mental health. Now, the largest trial yet indicates that psilocybin mushrooms—often colloquially called “magic mushrooms”—could offer powerful benefits to those seeking depression treatment.

According to a study that’s just been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, patients coping with treatment-resistant depression experienced significant reductions in symptoms for up to three weeks after taking a large dose of psilocybin alongside psychological support. These patients reported substantial benefits when compared to trial subjects who took much smaller doses.

A guy suffering from depression.
mahmoud alia / Shutterstock

About the psilocybin study

Participants in the study included 233 volunteers spanning ten countries, all of whom had failed to respond to at least two other forms of treatment for depression. These volunteers were randomized and received a single dose of psilocybin either 1mg, 10mg, or 25mg in strength.

Before taking their dose, the volunteers received counseling and information about what to expect from a psychedelic experience. Then during each patient’s session, they were directed to focus inward while listening to a specially prepared playlist of music that lasted roughly six hours. Participants were monitored during the experience, then received counseling sessions one day later, and then a week after that to help analyze their experience. Their mental health was then tracked for 12 weeks.

Research.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The results

When compared against the single milligram control dose—which the researchers accurately theorized would have little to no lasting impact—volunteers who ingested 25mg of psilocybin experienced significant improvement in depression symptoms that lasted for up to three weeks. Participants who took 10mg experienced a reduction of symptoms as well, but not to a statistically significant degree.

According to the authors of the study—which was funded by the psychedelic therapy company Compass Pathways—this is the largest study of its type. While its results suggest that it indeed may be beneficial to take psychedelic mushrooms for depression, the authors did mention a few things to keep in mind.

The overwhelming majority of participants—77%—reported negative side effects such as headache, nausea, and dizziness, while suicidal ideation or behavior occurred across all dosage groups. Whether suicidal thoughts and actions were motivated by the psilocybin or derived from other factors is unknown.

A mushroom in the wild.
Shutterstock

Future psilocybin studies

Negative side effects aside, Compass Pathways finds the results to be promising. It plans on conducting two more studies before the year is out that will span over 900 volunteers.

Editors' Recommendations

Nick Hilden
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Nick Hilden is a lifestyle and culture writer whose work has appeared in the Washington Post, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Afar…
From Gilda Radner to Ali Wong, these are the best female comedians of all time
These women from all generations will make you laugh out loud
Ai Wong comedian 2017 Moontower comedy festival

Hot take: I don’t care for straight male comedians. It’s not that they’re not funny, they’re just … I don’t know, boring? Maybe that’s reductive of me, but I never seem to leave a straight male comedian’s set feeling particularly inspired. And though some may argue that it’s not important for a set to "inspire" its audience, I’d actually argue that the opposite is true. For me, I want to see a comedian use humor to address real issues and say real things about the world, even if they do it in a completely goofy way.

Therefore, I tend to prefer female and female-identified comedians. They’re sharp, tough, and have often seen shit that makes their comedy feel raw and true. Undoubtedly there are male comedians who do this, too, but to a much lesser degree, in my very humble and very personal opinion.

Read more
12 classic sci-fi books everyone should read
If you love science fiction and reading, these classic sci-fi novels are a must
Man reading a book and drinking coffee

It may feel like we were recently living in a science-fiction dystopia life -- and in some ways, we were -- but that doesn't mean that we should simply avoid an entire genre of writing. Hardly. In fact, this is probably the perfect time to explore classic sci-fi books, to see what the masters have written, and maybe even see if someone predicted anything like this. Many, though, simply ignore sci-fi wholly and completely because of an association with robots, aliens, and the like.

Long story short, if you think you don't like sci-fi, you have never read great books from the genre. But indeed, many such books abound, including a number that has delighted generations of readers going back well over 150 years. In fact, one of the best things about so many sci-fi books is their very timelessness. As by definition, this type of fiction breaks away from the norms of the everyday world -- whether slightly twisting things or taking place on entire other worlds -- the stories often feel as fresh and relevant today as when they were published decades ago.

Read more
The 7 best classic fantasy books to get lost in
Even adults can enjoy entering the fantasy world
Man reading a book

Using the term "fantasy" when it comes to fiction, we are admittedly casting a pretty wide net. After all, think about just how many shows and movies could technically be considered fantasy, too. If. we're talking about classic, canonical fantasy, though, the net shrinks considerably. If a book is to stand the test of time to be considered a classic -- regardless of genre -- it has to be damn good. At the risk of offending plenty of authors and fantasy fans both of yesteryear and today, most fantasy writing ... how should I put this? In a few decades, it won't be on some future writer's list of fantasy classics.

I say all that as an absolute fan of fantasy writing. From the Game of Thrones books, our era's Lord of the Rings, to the novels of Neil Gaiman, to the Twilight series (except not that), there is a plethora of great fantasy writing being produced today. But if you're looking to get into the genre or are already an aficionado with a few gaps in your reading list, classic fantasy novels are always a fine choice, as are classic mysteries, classic adventure books, and on it goes across every genre of literature.

Read more