Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in adults with depression – A literature review
Marie Celine Dorczok, Gloria Mittmann, Thomas Ettl, Verena Steiner‐hofbauer
Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry September 24, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2025.111508 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractPsilocybin-assisted therapy combined with structured psychological support produces sustained reductions in depressive symptoms in people with treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder. Higher doses generally yield stronger benefits. Despite its potential as a holistic treatment, methodological limitations—including variation in study designs, inconsistent psychological support, and difficulty with blinding due to the drug's subjective effects—underscore the need for standardized protocols in future research to ensure reliable outcomes. Further work is needed to clarify the mechanisms behind its therapeutic effects.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | People with treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder |
| Intervention | structured psychological support |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key finding | Psilocybin-assisted therapy combined with structured psychological support produces sustained reductions in depressive symptoms in treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder, with higher doses generally yielding stronger benefits. |
Abstract
PAP combined with structured psychological support shows sustained reductions in depressive symptoms for treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder. Higher doses generally yield stronger benefits. While PAP holds significant potential as a holistic treatment, methodological limitations, such as heterogeneity in study designs, inconsistent levels of psychological support and difficulties in blinding due to the nature of the drug's effect, highlight the need for more standardized protocols in future studies to ensure reliable outcomes. More research is needed to better understand the mechanisms underlying its therapeutic effects.