Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) has re-emerged over the past decade as a promising therapeutic approach for a range of mental health conditions, including treatment-resistant depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety associated with life-threatening illness, and substance use disorders. Substances such as psilocybin, MDMA, ketamine, and LS...
Despite decades of neuroscience research and significant investment in addiction neuroimaging, clinical outcomes for individuals with substance use and behavioural addictions remain poor. Only 1.8% of people with substance use disorders receive effective treatment, highlighting a major disconnect between mechanistic understanding and clinical utility. This p...
This review examines the therapeutic efficacy of psilocybin for major depressive disorder by integrating findings from clinical trials, meta-analyses, and mechanistic research. A comprehensive literature search across major scientific databases identified empirical studies evaluating psilocybin’s effects on depressive symptomatology, safety, and underlying n...
Background: As public and scientific interest in psychedelics grows, unsupervised use for health purposes is increasing. In the U.S., past-year hallucinogen use nearly doubled from 2015 to 2023. Many individuals report self-treating physical or psychological symptoms without medical supervision using psychedelics-a practice termed self-medication. Despite th...
Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) has been well-researched within scientific literature, although the therapeutic value of psilocybin is not fully understood. The aim of this systematic review is to determine a stable and effective dosage unit to inform health professionals of the benefits of psilocybin, using peer-reviewed literature and meta-analysis. T...
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.
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.
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)....
People with cancer often experience anxiety and depression following a diagnosis and can face barriers to accessing treatment for their mental health. An increasing number of patients are considering alternative approaches to managing their mental health symptoms, such as the psychedelic, psilocybin. A growing number of clinical trials show significant and e...
Abstract Psilocybin is studied as innovative medication in anxiety, substance abuse and treatment-resistant depression. Animal studies show that psychedelics promote neuronal plasticity by strengthening synaptic responses and protein synthesis. However, the exact molecular and cellular changes induced by psilocybin in the human brain are not known. Here, we ...
Background: Major depressive disorder is a prevalent psychological condition that is characterized by sustained low mood, dysfunction and biological dysregulation. Depression can be treated with cognitive behavioral therapy, and newer studies indicate that psilocybin-based therapy may improve depressive symptoms when used under supervised psychological suppo...
Psilocybin-containing mushrooms, commonly known as magic mushrooms, strongly affect mood, cognition, and behavior. Psilocybe azurescens is a species of psilocybin mushrooms that contains the main active compounds psilocybin and psilocin. Psilocybin mushrooms have been used since ancient times to improve the quality of life. However, their adverse effects hav...
BACKGROUND: Psychedelics such as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and psilocybin are showing promising results in clinical trials for the treatment of mental health disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder, addiction, and treatment-resistant depression. US Food and Drug Administration approval may be on the horizon. Yet, little is known ab...
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 antidepressan...
Psychedelic use has greatly increased within clinical and recreational settings over recent years. While demonstrating a favorable safety profile within certain clinical populations, little empirical research has explored safety of psychedelic use within real-world samples. Using the World Health Organization (WHO) VigiBase, a comprehensive global pharmacovi...
Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) has emerged as a promising and innovative approach to treating a range of mental health disorders, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance use disorders. Once sidelined due to regulatory bans and social stigma, psychedelics such as psilocybin, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), lyse...
Introduction: Major depressive disorder (MDD) affects over 21 million adults in the U.S (NIMH, 2023) and remains a significant public health challenge. Despite the effectiveness of traditional medications, 30% of patients remains resistant. Little is known about the beliefs individuals hold regarding novel treatments, such as psilocybin and the motivations b...
Abstract Psilocybin has demonstrated promising antidepressant effects in depression and treatment-resistant depression (TRD) in controlled clinical trials. However, its effectiveness and safety in real-world therapeutic settings remain largely unknown. Although psilocybin is not yet approved as an antidepressant treatment, Switzerland’s unique legal framewor...
Psychedelics are gaining recognition for their effectiveness as modulators of neuroplasticity in the treatment of a range of neuropsychiatric disorders. Psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide, N,N-dimethyltryptamine, and ketamine are substances that mainly affect the serotonergic and glutamatergic systems. They induce rapid synaptogenesis, dendritic remodeli...
