Psilocybin Bests SSRI for Major Depression in First Long-Term Comparison
“MILAN — Psilocybin leads to a better overall outcome in the treatment of moderate to severe major depressive disorder (MDD) than the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) escitalopram, results of the first long-term comparison of the two treatments suggest.
“This is the first work to compare the long-term effects of these two drugs in the context of overall well-being, not just freedom from depression,” study investigator Tommaso Barba, PhD, candidate Imperial College London, London, England, said in a press release. “Psilocybin outperformed escitalopram in several measures of well-being, meaning in life, work, and social functioning.”
Findings from the 6-month follow-up study of a phase 2 double-blind, randomized, controlled trial were presented on September 22 at the 37th European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Congress and published simultaneously in The Lancet eClinicalMedicine….The initial single-center study included 59 adults with MDD (mean age, 41 years) who were randomized to receive either psilocybin or escitalopram over a 6-week period. The psilocybin arm (n = 30) received two 25-mg oral doses of psilocybin therapy (PT), and the escitalopram arm (n = 29) received 10-20 mg of daily escitalopram plus two (placebo-like) 1-mg doses of psilocybin (ET). Both groups received psychological support….The researchers conclude that while a short course of SSRIs combined with intensive therapeutic support (around 20 hours) “might be enough to induce sustained antidepressant effects,” patients treated with psilocybin showed greater improvements in general functioning, connectedness, and meaning in life.
Although not reassessed in the follow-up, the initial study showed that adverse events, particularly sexual functioning, favored psilocybin, said Barba.”
