'Magic mushroom' drug helps reduce the severity of depression in difficult to treat people

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2022-11-03 08:00

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The largest trial to date on the use of psilocybin, the active component of magic mushrooms, for treatment-resistant depression, has found that a single dose of 25 mg reduced the severity of depression significantly more than a 1 mg dose over a period of 3 weeks. The drug was also associated with adverse effects, including headache, nausea, and dizziness, in 77% of patients. The authors say larger and longer trials, including comparison with existing treatments, are required to determine the efficacy and safety of psilocybin for this disorder.