Psychology · Literature

Research papers on Psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression

Recent and highly-cited academic work on psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression, gathered from Semantic Scholar, CrossRef and OpenAlex.

1. Testing an App-Assisted Treatment for Suicide Prevention in a Randomized Controlled Trial: Effects on Suicide Risk and Depression

   Mia S. O'Toole, Mikkel B. Arendt, Christian M. Pedersen · 2019 · Behavior Therapy · 63 citations

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2. Psilocybin for depression: Considerations for clinical trial design

   Kelley C. O’Donnell, Sarah E. Mennenga, Michael P. Bogenschutz · 2019 · Journal of Psychedelic Studies · 14 citations

   Background and aims: Given the enormous global burden of depressive illness, there is an urgent need to develop novel and more effective treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD). Recent findings have suggested that psychedelic drugs may have a role in the treatment of depressive symptoms, and a number of groups are in the process of developing protocols to study this question systematically. Given the subjective quality of both the psychedelic experience and depressive symptomatology, great care must be taken when designing a protocol to study the clinical efficacy of psychedelic drugs. This study will discuss many factors to consider when designing a clinical trial of psilocybin for M

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3. Evolving Guidelines for the Use of Touch During a Clinical Trial of Group Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy

   Anthony Back, Susanna Myers, John Guy, et al. · 2024 · Psychedelic Medicine · 7 citations

   For a new clinical trial testing a group retreat-based format of psilocybin-assisted therapy, our research team created an initial set of practice guidelines that aimed to describe facilitator use of touch in a way that is ethical, supportive, and minimizes harm. In our first three retreats, however, we had two unexpected experiences with touch that led us to iterate our initial guidelines into a new version of guidelines. In this Technical Report, we describe our evolving guidelines specifying acceptable practices for facilitator use of touch to ensure a safe, supportive, and therapeutic participant experience. Our primary goal with these guidelines is to create a haptic experience during t

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4. Hormonal Influences on Psilocybin Responsivity Across the Female Lifespan: Toward Personalized Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy

   Faith Ekoh, Shanice Rerrie, James Angud, et al. · 2025 · Psychoactives · 4 citations

   Today’s research highlights the therapeutic potential of the hallucinogen psilocybin in the treatment of pathologies associated with mood, cognitive, and affective dysregulation. These domains of function are regulated by the serotonergic system, which can be influenced by sex hormones, like estrogen and testosterone, and psychedelic compounds including psilocybin. Current evidence supports a higher prevalence of affective disorders in females, and a growing awareness of sex-based differences in response to drug therapy. Estrogen’s influence on serotonin physiology is an aspect that must be accounted for when planning a treatment regimen that includes a psychoactive drug such as psilocybin.

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5. Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy May Enhance Conservation Values in Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder

   Noah D. Gold, Broc A. Pagni, Petros D. Petridis, et al. · 2025 · Psychedelic Medicine · 4 citations

   Background: Psilocybin can produce long-term changes in personality, personal values, and behavior. Although psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) is being actively studied for various psychiatric conditions, its effects on personal values in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) remain unexplored. This study examined the effects of PAT on personal values in patients with AUD and assessed relationships between value changes, acute psilocybin experiences, and drinking outcomes. Methods: In a phase II clinical trial (NCT02061293), 93 participants with AUD received 12 weeks of treatment, including manualized psychotherapy and two 8-h drug administration sessions with either psilocybin ( n = 48)

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6. Low-income group psilocybin assisted therapy for depression: An Oregon feasibility study

   Matthew Hicks, Olivia Hicks, Ryan Bradley, et al. · 2026 · Journal of Psychedelic Studies · 2 citations

   Background and aims: Despite growing popularity and increasing legal access, psychedelic therapy remains financially inaccessible to many. This study was designed to test the feasibility of conducting group psilocybin therapy in low-income adults with depression in Oregon's regulated psilocybin program. Methods: An open label, uncontrolled design was used. After a medical screening visit, participants were enrolled in cohorts of six. Each cohort participated in two 90-min preparation sessions conducted online followed by two psilocybin administration sessions one week apart where they consumed dehydrated and homogenized whole mushrooms, Psilocybe cubensis (B+ strain) prepared in a tea. Two d

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7. The psychedelic renaissance: psilocybin, a breakthrough for treatment resistant depression?

   Trevor R. Norman · 2025 · Exploration of Neuroscience · 2 citations

   Treatment resistant depression (TRD) is frequently encountered in clinical practice. The lack of response of the condition to conventional medications and augmentation strategies has spawned the search for novel treatment approaches. Psychedelic medications used in conjunction with intensive psychotherapy, so-called psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP), have been evaluated in a limited number of studies as an alternative tactic. This psychedelic renaissance has seen psilocybin, a naturally occurring, potentially hallucinogenic substance occurring in some species of mushrooms, used as one exemplar. The definition of “treatment resistance” varies between different authorities, but there is

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8. Reporting practices in psilocybin-assisted therapy trials for depression: A descriptive review and temporal overview

   Nils Hörnqvist · 2026 · Journal of Psychedelic Studies

   Background: Research on psilocybin's antidepressant effects has been investigated rigorously over the last 20 years. Psilocybin has been used in both major depressive disorder (MDD) and treatment resistant depression (TRD) cohort with promising results. Aims: The aim of this review was to summarize the reporting practices used in psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) trials for MDD and TRD. By comparing completed and ongoing PAT, a temporal summary of how reporting practices are projected to change was also investigated. Findings: The review found several areas of improvement: overrepresentation of participants with previous psychedelic experiences (22.4% of participants); inconsistent reporting

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9. PSILOCYBIN IN PSYCHIATRIC PRACTICE AND PSYCHEDELIC-ASSISTED THERAPY FOR TREATMENT-RESISTANT DEPRESSION

   Łukasz Deska, Cezary Kosmecki, Dawid Głaz, et al. · 2026 · International Journal of Innovative Technologies in Social Science

   This manuscript comprehensively reviews psilocybin-assisted therapy for major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression. It aims to synthesize current understanding regarding its mechanisms, efficacy, safety, costs, and accessibility, comparing it with conventional antidepressant and ketamine treatments. The methodology involved a narrative synthesis of academic literature, drawing from systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and clinical trials identified through targeted database searches. Key findings indicate that psilocybin therapy demonstrates rapid, robust, and sustained antidepressant effects, with high response and remission rates, often after one or two sessions. Its safety

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