TORONTO – The Center for Addiction and Mental Health says it has received Canada’s first federal grant to study the effects of a psychedelic chemical component in “magic mushrooms” on treatment-resistant depression.
The Institute of Psychiatry says researchers will study whether testing the effects of psilocybin — found in “magic mushrooms” — is necessary for it to have antidepressant effects.
The clinical trial will recruit 60 adults with treatment-resistant depression over three years and administer a full dose of psilocybin, plus a blocker to prevent the psychedelic effects, to a random third of the participants.
Dr. Ishrat Hussain, CAMH’s head of clinical trials and principal investigator of the new study, says there is a “growing interest and body of knowledge” about the use of psychedelic drugs to treat mental illness and addiction.
He says earlier clinical trials involving the chemical component have shown extensive and lasting antidepressant effects when combined with intensive psychotherapy.
Hussain says that if the study shows that psilocybin can treat depression without inducing a psychedelic state, it could eliminate the need for psychological support during treatment, which is time-consuming and expensive.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 27, 2022.
SECTION:
Add Comment