Explorando las terapias psicodélicas: Una revisión sistemática de la eficacia de la psilocibina en el tratamiento de la depresión

A review of twenty-five articles indicates that psilocybin-assisted therapy is effective for treating depression, reducing symptoms, and improving mental health. The antidepressant escitalopram appears to show comparable efficacy. Psilocybin stands out for its speed of action and safety profile, though more research is needed to determine long-term effectiveness and establish treatment guidelines.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The main objective is to verify if the administration of psilocybin is effective for the treatment of depression. In addition, the aim is to verify whether psilocybin is more effective compared to escitalopram as well as to verify the existence of adverse effects due to the treatment. Currently, mental health faces global challenges; Proof of this is the 25% increase in depressive disorders during the first year of the pandemic, affecting one billion people. Major depressive disorder has increased by 50% in the last thirty years. Despite conventional treatments, attention is turning to innovative approaches such as psychedelic-assisted therapy, especially psilocybin, sparking global interest. Method: Pubmed and Sciencedirect were used as scientific data sources to carry out the review, following the PICO method. The process consisted of five phases, during which inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, where a total of twenty-five articles were selected. Results: Psilocybin as assisted therapy is effective in the treatment of depression; reducing symptoms, changes in perspective and cognition as well as an improvement in mental health. Discussion: More research is required to determine long-term effectiveness as well as to establish treatment guidelines. Psilocybin stands out for its speed of action and safety profile, being effective for the treatment of depression. Likewise, the antidepressant escitalopramappears to show comparable efficacy to psilocybin.