OSU Releases 5-Year Findings Showing Success Treating Major Depression with Psilocybin

Researchers from The Ohio State University & Johns Hopkins University have recently released their findings from a 5-year study, exploring the impact of Psilocybin in treating Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), which demonstrated that two-thirds of people who underwent psilocybin-assisted therapy remained free from depression five years later.

The study involved 24 people aged 21 to 75 who were randomly assigned to receive psilocybin treatment in 2019 and 2020 either immediately or after an eight-week delay. Each participant received two doses of the psychoactive compound found in “magic mushrooms”, spaced two-weeks apart, alongside 13 hours of psychotherapy support.

After 5 years, the improvements in depression seen 1-year after the initial treatment continued to persist, without any serious side effects. These findings suggest that psilocybin therapy may last longer than even traditional treatments, such as antidepressants or psychotherapy.

While these findings are positive, researchers note some factors that limit their ability to draw firm conclusions as to cause-and-effect, including that the study lacked a comparison group, and that 11 out of the 18 participants who remained in the trial also reported using antidepressants during the 5-year study period, which may have also influenced their recovery.

Despite these limitations, other studies are painting a similar picture of psilocybin’s enduring effects on depression. While psychedelic research is still in its infancy and grapples with design challenges, the results consistently show significant reductions in depression symptoms following psychedelic-assisted therapy.