Psychedelic Mushroom Chemical May Help Treat Depression
A new study found the drug temporarily relieved symptoms for some patients, but it needs to be tested in larger and longer trials, experts say
Will Sullivan
November 7, 2022
The hallucinogenic chemical in ‘magic mushrooms,’ known as psilocybin, could relieve symptoms of depression, a new study finds.
Though participants experienced largely short-term improvements, the researchers hope their results will encourage further study and regulatory approval down the line.
Some 16 million U.S. adults suffer from depression each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And around 30 percent of those who get treatment do not respond to it, writes CNN’s Sandee LaMotte.
The recent phase II trial recruited 233 adults with depression that had evaded other sorts of treatment. “These are folks who are not only severely depressed but also very frustrated, because they’ve tried so many different things,” Stewart Shankman, a clinical psychologist at Northwestern Medicine who was not involved with the study, tells NBC News’ Erika Edwards.
More:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/psychedelic-mushroom-chemical-may-help-treat-depression-180981083/
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