MAGIC mushrooms “significantly” reduce symptoms of depression, study suggests.
Psilocybin – the active ingredient in the psychedelic drug – was better at treating the condition than comparable treatments including antidepressants, researchers at the University of Oxford found.
It was particularly beneficial in older patients and those who had previously taken the drug recreationally, they said.
Lead author Athina-Marina Metaxa said: “In our meta-analysis, we found that psilocybin use showed a significant benefit in changing depression scores compared to placebo.
“This review showed significantly greater efficacy of psilocybin among patients with secondary depression, patients with prior psychedelic use, and older patients.”
Around one in six Brits suffer from depression, with women twice as likely to have mental health problems.
It is the most common mental health problem in older people, affecting around 22 percent of men and 28 percent of women aged 65 and over.
Previous research has linked psilocybin consumption in controlled dosages to an improvement in symptoms.
The latest study, published in The BMJreviewed data from seven articles to see what factors influence the drug’s performance.
In total, the trials analyzed involved 436 patients with depression who received doses of psilocybin or placebo, niacin or other psychedelics.
Depression scores were measured before and after treatment to see how well the medications worked.
The change in depression scores was significantly greater after psilocybin treatment than with comparable treatments, the researchers said.
Those with secondary depression – meaning they had another illness affecting them that was linked to the depression – benefited most, they found.
Metaxa said: “Efficacy does not appear to be homogeneous across patient types.
“For example, those with depression and a life-threatening illness seemed to benefit most from treatment.
“More research is needed to clarify the factors that maximize psilocybin’s treatment potential for symptoms of depression.”
What are the symptoms of depression?
Psychological symptoms of depression include:
- bad mood or ongoing sadness
- feeling hopeless and helpless
- have low self-esteem
- feeling tearful
- feeling full of guilt
- feeling irritable and intolerant of others
- not having motivation or interest in things
- finding it difficult to make decisions
- not getting any pleasure in life
- feeling anxious or worried
- having suicidal thoughts or thoughts of hurting yourself
Physical symptoms of depression include:
- moving or speaking slower than usual
- changes in appetite or weight (usually decreased but sometimes increased)
- cold
- inexplicable pain and suffering
- lack of energy
- low sexual desire (loss of libido)
- disturbed sleep – for example, difficulty falling asleep at night or waking up very early in the morning
Source: The National Health Service
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