An estimated 30% of peopleTrusted Source with major depressive disorder (MDD) have treatment-resistant depression. That means their condition does not respond to the medications that doctors usually prescribe. Over the years, researchers have examined the use of psychedelicsTrusted Source substances that alter a person’s mood, thoughts, or senses as a therapy option for treatment-resistant depression.
One of those psychedelic drugs is psilocybin. Past research shows that psilocybin provides antidepressant effects in people with MDD and reduced depressive symptoms in patients with treatment-resistant depression.
Now, a multicenter clinical trial conducted within 22 international sites, including the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, is reportedly the largest study to date to show a specific type of psilocybin therapy helps reduce depression symptoms in people with treatment-resistant depression.
However, researchers did report some adverse side effects of the use of this psilocybin therapy, including headaches, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, and thoughts about suicide.
This study was recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, a prevention hotline can help.
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day at 988. During a crisis, people who are hard of hearing can use their preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988.
A person has treatment-resistant depression if their MDD also known as clinical depression does not respond to at least two different types of medications typically used to treat depressionTrusted Source.
Treatment-resistant depression can occur if a person:is naturally resistant to certain antidepressant medications, including genetic reasonsTrusted Source does not stay on their medication for the full prescribed duration has other health conditions that may impact their depression, such as heart diseaseTrusted Source or thyroid issues.
Women are twice as likely to have MDD as men, and studiesTrusted Source have shown that women with depression are more likely to experience TRD.
Other people at higher risk for treatment-resistant depression include: Psilocybin is a psychedelic chemical that naturally occurs in certain types of mushrooms that grow in the United States, South America, and Mexico. This is why it is sometimes referred to as “magic mushrooms.”
