Psilocybin for depression

Plain English Summary

Background and study aims
Depression affects people in different ways and can cause a wide variety of symptoms. They range from lasting feelings of sadness and hopelessness (low mood), to feeling very tearful at unexpected moments (emotional lability). Many people with depression also have symptoms of anxiety. Treatment for depression involves either medication or talking treatments, but these do not work for everybody because some people have depression that is treatment-resistant. Psilocybin is a hallucinogenic drug that comes from what is often called ‘magic mushrooms’. The drug can put some people in a euphoric mood for a number of hours and reduce anxiety. Psilocybin has been given to healthy volunteers and to patients suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and anxiety before with positive results, but it has not been tested in depression. The aim of this initial study is to investigate how this drug works on patients with treatment-resistant depression. We also want to find out which dose gives predictable results in improving peoples’ mood.

Who can participate?
Patients referred from local London psychiatric teams.

What does the study involve?
The potential psychological effects of psilocybin are fully described to all patients before they sign up for the study. Participants are made to feel very prepared for their experience before taking the drug and are taught ways to relax to reduce anxiety and promote a positive drug experience. Patients receive a low dose in the first session so that they have a first impression of the drug experience before moving on to a higher dose. People can respond to the drug very differently from one another and some may not want to take the higher dose. A positive environment is created during the study so that participants feel relaxed and don’t feel worried. The study team has a psychiatrist and psychotherapist and all dosing sessions are supervised by a medical doctor. Follow-up meetings take place after each dosing session and any bad feelings experienced by participants will be managed by the study psychiatrist, GPs and/or community mental health professionals.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Bad side effects are rare when psilocybin is taken by healthy volunteers but they may be more likely in vulnerable patients such as those with depression. Risks include anxiety, ‘bad trips’ (dysphoria) and rarer psychotic responses. We will minimise risks by excluding patients experiencing psychotic symptoms at the time of the study, or those who have a personal/family history of psychosis. The occurrence of negative feelings experienced by people taking psilocybin depends on the dose amount so the maximum dose we give is considered moderate in healthy volunteers.

Where is the study run from?
Imperial Clinical Research Facility, Hammersmith Hospital (UK)

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
April 2015 to December 2015

Who is funding the study?
Medical Research Council (UK)

Who is the main contact?
Dr R Carhart-Harris (UK)

Contact information

Study information

Eligibility

Locations

Countries of recruitment

• England
• United Kingdom

Study participating centre

Sponsor information

Imperial College London
University/education

Burlington Danes Building
Du Cane Rd
London
W10 5NA
England
United Kingdom

"ROR"	https://ror.org/041kmwe10

Funders

Funder type

Research council

Results and Publications

Study outputs

Editorial Notes

12/01/2021: Publication reference added.
14/02/2018: Publication references added.
24/05/2016: Publication reference added.
The registration was initiated on 30/03/2015 and finalised on 07/07/2015. The recruitment started on 21/04/2015, after initiation of public registration.