Magic mushrooms ‘more effective for treating depression in pensioners than young people’

BMJ study suggests the therapeutic effects were greatest in certain groups including older patients and those with past use of psychedelics

Magic mushrooms are more effective at treating depression in pensioners than young people, a BMJ study has suggested.
Oxford scientists found that the active ingredient in the recreational drug, called psilocybin, was more effective than other treatments and placebo in cases of depression.
Analysis of existing studies revealed that the drug had greater benefits among certain groups, including older people, finding that depression levels reduced further for every year older a patient was.
The results build on findings that suggest the psychedelic could be beneficial in the treatment of depression.
Researchers analysed data from seven different studies, which included 436 participants, and established that the therapeutic effects were greatest in patients with past use of psychedelics, older patients, and those with secondary depression and an additional psychiatric disorder.
The ages of the patients involved in the trials ranged from the early 30s to late 60s.
The report looked at studies in which magic mushrooms had been found to be more effective than other treatments, including antidepressants, vitamin B and other psychedelic micro-doses.
The authors of the report also concluded that the response rates to treatment were two times higher in those taking the active chemical in magic mushrooms compared with placebo, while the remission rate was almost three times higher.
Patients were typically asked to self-assess their depression using clinically-approved questionnaires such as the Beck Depression Inventory, which gives respondents a score out of 65 – the higher the score the more depressed, in theory, a person is.
The researchers found that among the patients taking doses of psilocybin, their score on these tests improved on average for each year older they were.
The authors hypothesised why this could be, and citing other evidence, suggested “older patients report a higher ‘blissful state’ experience” from the drug.
“This might be because of older people’s increased experience in managing negative emotions,” they said, as well as the loss of a specific receptor density in the brain.
It was also suggested that the “cognitive performance of older participants improved significantly more than that of younger participants after micro dosing with psilocybin” and that the decrease in depressive symptoms “could be attributed to a decrease in cognitive difficulties experienced by older participants”.
As many as 3 per cent of people could be suffering from depression on any given week, according to the charity Mind.
Magic mushrooms are illegal in the UK and considered a class A drug. Possession carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison, while for production or supply it is life.
Under research protocols it is classified as a Schedule 1 drug, which means it has more stringent rules than other class A drugs including heroin and cocaine, and requires a Home Office licence to carry out trials in Britain.
Dr Paul Keedwell, a psychiatrist and fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said the “results are impressive”.
He said there were concerns about the “expectation effect” with most patients aware they were receiving the treatment or a higher dose of the drug, but he added that these concerns were “tempered by the fact improvements were maintained for up to 12 weeks in one study”.
“Longer follow ups would be welcome, and there is more work to be done on optimal dosing,” he said.
“It seems that a strong psychedelic experience is needed to get the best results.
“The main disadvantage is that some patients find the psychedelic effects unpleasant, and care must be taken to ensure a calm environment for the treatment.”
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The authors from Oxford University and Royal Hospitals, Belfast, concluded that the findings were “encouraging for its use in clinical practice as a drug intervention for patients with primary or secondary depression, particularly when combined with psychological support and administered in a supervised clinical environment”.
“However, the highly standardised treatment setting, high cost, and lack of regulatory guidelines and legal safeguards associated with psilocybin treatment need to be dealt with before it can be established in clinical practice,” they added.