Psilocybin is an alternative treatment method for people with depression

Question

For some people who are impacted by depression, traditional methods of treatment don't always work. Some doctors are recommending different ways of dosing psilocybin as an alternative treatment method with claims of varying success with patients.

Answer 1

This isn't an egregious exaggeration, but just from looking over the article it becomes clear that psilocybin is not currently an option that can be prescribed, and is not really an alternative to traditional antidepressants. While there are certainly studies indicating that it may be more effective, especially in instances where patients cannot be successfully treated by SSRIs, they have received no substantial approval, and there is even doubt as to their effectiveness. This article states that the main trial being discussed showed no difference in depression scores for those on the psilocybin trial and those on an SSRI, even though the brain scans indicated the psilocybin making more progress. On the whole, while there are interesting findings surrounding psilocybin's uses for depression, we are several years from it becoming any kind of real alternative, and there is no conclusive evidence that it will be more effective.