The active ingredient in magic mushrooms is a particularly effective treatment for symptoms of depression in older patients, according to a study.
Scientists at the University of Oxford analysed the results of seven trials involving 436 participants with depression to assess the potential of psilocybin for use as an antidepressant.
They found that the greatest therapeutic benefits of psilocybin were found in patients with past use of psychedelics, as well as those with secondary depression and an additional psychiatric disorder.
The drug was found to reduce depression levels further for every year older a patient was, suggesting it could be a more effective treatment for older patients.
Researchers suggested this could be due to older patients reporting a "higher 'blissful state' experience" from the drug.
“This might be because of older people’s increased experience in managing negative emotions,” they added.
Depression affects about three in 100 people in England and approximately 100 million people worldwide suffer from treatment-resistant depression, which means that their symptoms do not respond to at least two antidepressant treatments.
At high doses, psilocybin induces a psychedelic experience with altered sensations, euphoria and visual hallucinations. Magic mushrooms are often used recreationally but remain a Class B substance in the UK, carrying a maximum prison sentence of 7 years for possession.
Scientists believe that psilocybin could help to alleviate symptoms of mental illness as it can trigger positive biological changes in the brain. It is thought that psilocybin helps brain cells to reorganise their structure and function in a way that helps them to connect better. This can help patients to feel more connected to their own identity, or their family and friends.
The study's authors said the findings are encouraging but “further research is needed to clarify the factors that maximise psilocybin’s treatment potential for symptoms of depression.”
"Better evidence is needed before any clinical recommendation can be made about therapeutic use of psilocybin," they concluded.
Issues such as cost, regulatory guidelines and legal safeguards must be resolved in order for psilocybin to be rolled out as a potential treatment, they added.
Last year, the Standard reported how scientists were trialling the use of psilocybin in treating anorexia patients. The condition has the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric disorders because of medical complications and suicide, but there is no pharmacological treatment.
