Journal of affective disorders
January 15, 2025
Sara Ellis, Catherine Bostian, Wendy Feng et al.
23 citations
In a small, uncontrolled trial, 15 veterans with severe treatment-resistant depression received a single 25 mg dose of psilocybin. At three weeks, 60% met criteria for response and 53% for remission. By twelve weeks, 47% maintained response and 40% remission. Co-occurring PTSD did not affect outcomes, and the intensity of the psychedelic experience did not correlate with depression improvement. Four participants who needed to restart antidepressants were counted as non-responders from that point. No unexpected adverse events occurred. The authors note limitations including the small sample and lack of a control group, and call for further study.
Journal of affective disorders
June 9, 2025
Sara Ellis, Catherine Bostian, Anna Donnelly et al.
3 citations
Among veterans with severe treatment-resistant depression, a single 25 mg dose of psilocybin produced significant reductions in depression scores that were sustained for up to 12 months, though antidepressant effects began to wane after 6 months and more substantially after 9 months. At 12 months, 40% of 10 participants maintained a response (≥50% reduction in MADRS) and 30% maintained remission (MADRS ≤10). The study was a small, open-label pilot without a control group, so the findings suggest but do not demonstrate lasting benefit.
Psychiatry Research Case Reports
May 22, 2026
Albert Yeung, Huiqiong Deng, Wendy Feng et al.
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) may offer a viable treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Asian American patients, who face cultural barriers such as stigma and collectivist values that complicate mental health care. In a case study of a 26-year-old Asian American woman with chronic PTSD from childhood abuse and neglect, 11 intramuscular ketamine sessions (mean dose 88.2 mg) over eight months, paired with integration therapy, led to symptom improvement on standardized measures (PCL-5, PHQ-9, GAD-7). The patient's choice to work with an Asian therapist highlighted the importance of cultural concordance. KAP remains understudied in Asian communities.