Psychoactive ingredient in ‘magic’ mushrooms may treat depression for much longer

• Psilocybin, a psychedelic, showed promise for treating depression, a study indicated.
• Psilocybin, combined with therapy, had “enduring” effects in controlled settings, an expert said.
• They cautioned that people shouldn’t attempt to try psilocybin, found in magic mushrooms, at home.

Psilocybin, the psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms, showed further promise for the treatment of severe depression in controlled settings after a study found that its effects lasted for up to a year in some people.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University said on Tuesday that they’d previously tracked the drugs’ effects on

depression

for two months.

Now, they found that the drug, alongside psychotherapy, could keep symptoms at bay for at least 12 months after two doses, given a couple weeks apart.

By comparison, existing treatments tend to be taken regularly, often for lengthy periods of time, and don’t work for everyone.

Tim Ferris, a well-known psychedelics investor, organized crowdfunding that helped finance the study.

Roland Griffiths, the founding director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research and the study’s lead author, said of the findings: “Psilocybin not only produces significant and immediate effects, it also has a long duration, which suggests that it may be a uniquely useful new treatment for depression.” 

“Compared to standard antidepressants, which must be taken for long stretches of time, psilocybin has the potential to enduringly relieve the symptoms of depression with one or two treatments,” he added.

Psilocybin is thought to act on the serotonergic part of the brain that modulates mood and may disrupt negative thoughts in depression. The compound is being tested in late-stage trials elsewhere, and pending positive results and a green light from regulators, it may be available in clinics within the next five years. But it’s currently illegal in most places. 

Dr. Natalie Gukasyan, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University and an author of…