Psychedelic Mushroom Compound May Ease Depression in People With Cancer

One dose of psilocybin, a naturally-occurring psychedelic compound in certain mushrooms, offered long-term relief from depression and anxiety among people diagnosed with cancer, according to a small study.

It’s estimated that about 15-25% of people diagnosed with cancer also have depression — more than twice the rate seen in the general population. Besides affecting a person’s ability to function each day, some research suggests that untreated depression can also decrease cancer survival. According to the National Cancer Institute, most people diagnosed with cancer who experience depression aren’t treated for the disorder, and only 5% see a mental health professional.

Psilocybin is a hallucinogen that alters the senses. It can change how you think, feel, and perceive time, and may cause you to see things that aren’t there. While it’s illegal to buy psilocybin in the United States, scientists are studying how it and other psychedelic compounds can help treat anxiety and depression, as well as PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), addiction, and migraines.

The study included 30 people diagnosed with cancer and depression who weren’t taking antidepressants or using medical cannabis, but were receiving therapy for depression. After two preparation therapy sessions, each person took a 25 mg-dose of psilocybin during a six-to-seven-hour therapy session, and completed four sessions afterward.

Over the two-year follow-up, most participants didn’t take additional psychiatric medicines or psychedelics. By the end of follow-up, about 50% were in remission from depression, and about 43% had sustained relief from anxiety. Notably, 25% experienced lasting improvements in depression, and about 18% in anxiety, from a single psilocybin dose without any further treatments.

It’s important to know that this wasn’t a randomized, controlled study, which is the gold standard for clinical trials. This means there wasn’t a comparison group of people with cancer and depression who didn’t take psilocybin. So the effects of psilocybin still need to be proven in other, more rigorous studies.

“One dose of psilocybin with psychological support to treat depression has a long-term positive impact on relieving depression for as much as two years for a substantial portion of patients with cancer,” lead author Manish Agrawal, MD, of Sunstone Therapies, said in a statement. Sunstone Therapies is a company that offers psychedelic-assisted therapy. “If randomized testing shows similar results, this could lead to greater use of psilocybin to treat depression in patients with cancer.”