Psilocybin for Depression: From Credibility to Feasibility, What's Missing?

• Main Authors: Antonio Munafò (Author), Davide Arillotta (Author), Guido Mannaioni (Author), Fabrizio Schifano (Author), Renato Bernardini (Author), Giuseppina Cantarella (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: MDPI AG, 2022-12-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.3390/ph16010068; 1424-8247
• Keywords: psilocybin; depression; clinical trials; methodological issues; ethical concerns; Medicine; R; Pharmacy and materia medica; RS1-441
• Source: Pharmaceuticals, Vol 16, Iss 1, p 68 (2022)

Psilocybin has been suggested as a promising transdiagnostic treatment strategy for a wide range of psychiatric disorders. Recent findings showed that psychedelic-assisted/"psycholitic" psychotherapy should provide significant and sustained alleviation of depressive symptoms. However, to date, there have been several study limitations (e.g., small sample sizes, blinding, limited follow-up, highly screened treatment populations) and some health/political issues, including practitioners' experience, lack of standardized protocols, psychedelics' legal status, ethical concerns, and potential psychological/psychopathological/medical untoward effects. The focus here is on a range of clinical and methodological issues, also aiming at outlining some possible suggestions. We are confident that newer evidence, more precise protocols, and eventual reclassification policies may allow a better understanding of the real potential of psilocybin as a transdiagnostic therapeutic molecule.