Depression affects more than 18 million adults in the United States in any given year. It is the main reason people commit suicide, and more than 41,000 individuals take their own lives every year. Therefore, finding an effective treatment for depression is vital. For the past few decades, treating major depressive disorder typically consisted of taking daily medications, going for weekly therapy, or a combination of the two. However, a new study conducted by researchers at Ohio State University has indicated that psychedelic-assisted therapy could help people suffering from depression, offering long-term benefits. How does psychedelic therapy for depression differ from other available treatments and therapies? Let’s find out in the article below.
The Study on Psychedelic Therapy for Depression
For the study, the researchers built upon a 2021 clinical trial involving 24 individuals diagnosed with major depressive disorder. During that trial, the participants received two doses of psilocybin in addition to around 13 hours of psychotherapy. Out of those 24 individuals, 18 enrolled in the follow-up study, which would be conducted over a period of five years. They were required to complete questionnaires to assess functional impairment, anxiety, and depression. They then received a depression rating from a clinician. The team noted that 58% of patients were in remission at one year and 67% were in remission at five years.
According to Alan Davis, the study’s lead author, “We also saw that across the board, anxiety, depression, global functioning, self-reported depression, all of these measures were showing the same signal of continued improvement up to five years later. Most people continued to view this treatment as safe, meaningful, important, and something that catalyzed an ongoing betterment of their life.” He further noted that an important aspect of the lasting benefits of the therapy was strong therapist support.
While some of the participants had tried taking psychedelics on their own, many of them reported that the experience was not as beneficial without the additional clinical support. In 2021, the Johns Hopkins study found that just two guided psilocybin sessions, combined with psychotherapy, resulted in a significant and rapid drop in depression within a month. Additionally, many of those benefits were still there a year later. Now, five years later, “most people continued to view this treatment as safe, meaningful, important, and something that catalyzed an ongoing betterment of their life,” said Davis.
Conservative Estimates
Only 18 of the 24 original participants took part in the 5-year follow-up. So, when the researchers analyzed the data at the five-year point, they conservatively estimated that the rest of the participants who did not take part in the follow-up had completely relapsed. Yet, according to the lead author of the study, “Even controlling for those baseline estimates from the people who didn’t participate in the long-term follow-up, we still see a very large and significant reduction in depression symptoms. That was really exciting for us because this showed that the number of participants still in complete remission from their depression had gone up slightly.”
However, the follow-up only consisted of a few participants, and there was no control group over the five-year period. Additionally, the researchers cannot attribute the benefits solely to the psilocybin. This is because only three of the participants have reported using no other depression-related treatments since the trial. The others reported trying other psychedelic or ketamine treatments, taking traditional antidepressant medications, or undergoing psychotherapy sessions. Yet, many of the participants noted that the psilocybin sessions didn’t just reduce symptoms, reset their relationships to those symptoms. Before being treated, depression was something that totally robbed them of their ability to engage with life, taking away all motivation. Now, even if they did have the occasional bout of depression, it was perceived as far more manageable and not as insurmountable as before.
The Bottom Line
While the psilocybin sessions have proven to be beneficial, most participants gained the most benefit when combined with psychotherapy sessions. This has emphasized the idea that the strength of the connection between the therapist and participant is often as predictive of a positive outcome as the medication itself. Many of the participants who tried using psychedelics on their own found that it was not the same. Additionally, most of the participants reported no negative effects following the original treatment.
A few of the participants noted that they felt unprepared for the increased emotional sensitivity following treatments, and others found it difficult to wean off their other meds before the trial began. Yet, despite these minor challenges, the study has revealed that using psychedelic therapy for depression can be both safe and effective. Next, they would need to see how a larger portion of the population responds to psychedelic treatments. Considering the long-term benefits seen in the study, the future looks bright.