Classic Psychedelics for the Treatment of Depressive Disorders: An Update for Psychiatrists in Training

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.