Magic mushroom treatment: A rival to antidepressants

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• June 30, 2023

Insight highlights

Clinical trials of psilocybin, the hallucinogenic compound found in magic mushrooms, have exhibited its potential as an effective treatment for hard-to-treat depression. Research published in Nature Medicine in April 2022 revealed that psilocybin therapy led to rapid, sustained improvement in depressive symptoms and healthier neural activity compared to conventional antidepressant escitalopram. As the promise of psychedelic medicine unfolds, it is likely to attract more pharmaceutical investment and fuel conversations around the destigmatization and legalization of these substances for medicinal use.

Magic mushroom treatment context

The result of a clinical trial of psilocybin conducted by pharmaceutical company Compass Pathways in November 2021 showed that psilocybin helped to relieve symptoms of hard-to-treat depression. The trial found that a 25-milligram dose of psilocybin, the hallucinogen in magic mushrooms, was most effective in treating patients with treatment-resistant depression. The trial of psilocybin was double-blinded, meaning neither the organizers nor the participants knew which treatment dose was given to each patient. The researchers used the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) to evaluate the participants' symptoms before treatment and three weeks afterward.

Another study published in April 2022 in the journal Nature Medicine revealed that the participants who were given psilocybin therapy had a rapid and sustained improvement in their depression and that their brain's neural activity showcased the cognitive ability of a healthy brain. In contrast, the participants given the antidepressant escitalopram had only mild improvements, and their neural activity was constrained in some areas of the brain. Since antidepressants have significant side effects, the rising number of studies on psilocybin and depression have made mental health experts hopeful for an alternate treatment process for depression.

Disruptive impact

Psychedelics offer vast potential as a treatment for depression, with psilocybin showing great promise. While more research is needed to confirm these findings, they hope psilocybin could be an effective treatment for depression, particularly for those who have not responded well to other treatments such as antidepressants. Psilocybin therapy may work by increasing brain activity across different brain regions, which could "flatten the landscape" of depression and allow people to move out of the valleys of low mood and negative thinking. Psychedelics being effective in treating mental health issues can help dissipate the stigma of psychedelics in society and push for legalization of its use for medicinal purposes.

However, psychedelics also come with risks. Psilocybin can cause powerful changes in consciousness, and it is essential to have support during this process. There is also a risk of developing psychotic symptoms after taking psilocybin, so it is necessary to be monitored for any worsening of mental health symptoms. As the field of psychedelic medicine gains more prominence, pharmaceutical companies will likely start investing more resources to gain the upper hand in the industry, benefiting consumers who can choose between different treatment means.

Applications for magic mushroom treatment

Wider implications of magic mushroom treatment may include: 

• More pharmaceutical companies, universities, and governmental agencies investing in research to assess the effectiveness of psychedelic medicine and therapies.
• Potential for psychedelics to gain legalization for medicinal uses in more places.
• A wider social trend of normalizing the use of psychedelics to treat mental health issues.
• Potential for people who were convicted of illegal possession of psychedelic substances to get pardons.
• Decrease in prices of anti-depression medicines to remain competitive with psychedelic medicine.

Questions to comment on

• Have you or someone you know used any psychedelic medicine to treat mental health issues?
• Do you think governments should legalize the use of psychedelics and drugs for medical uses?