Toronto’s Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) says it has received the first federal grant to study whether the active ingredient in “magic” mushrooms can be used to treat depression without the psychedelic effects.
Psilocybin is the chemical compound in magic mushrooms that induces the so-called “trip.” CAMH researchers will explore whether these psychoactive effects are necessary for the compound to alleviate treatment-resistant depression in adults.
“There has been a growing interest and body of knowledge in the use of psychedelic drugs for the treatment of mental illness and addictions,” said Dr. Ishrat Husain, principal investigator of the upcoming study, in a press release.
Husain noted that clinical trials suggest that psilocybin, combined with intensive psychotherapy, can produce “sustained antidepressant effects” in those living with severe depression.
LISTEN | Dr. Ishrat Husain and a psilocybin advocate discuss its potential as a treatment:
Metro Morning9:59CAMH gets federal grant to study use of psilocybin to treat depression, without magic high mushroom
Carole Dagher is a patient at the Addiction and Mental Health Center who has become an advocate for psychedelics as a way to treat depression. Dr. Ishrat Husain is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Head of the Clinical Trials Unit at CAMH.
One problem, however, is that because it carries psychoactive side effects, users need “intensive and expensive” support during treatment, Husain said. But if CAMH researchers find that psilocybin can still help people suffering from depression without the “trip,” it would make the treatment much more practical.
The study will include 60 adults who have been living with depression for at least three years and have not responded to alternative forms of treatment. A random third of these participants will receive a full dose of psilocybin plus a blocker that will stop the drug’s psychedelic effects. Another 20 will receive psilocybin and a placebo, while the third group will be given a placebo and the blocker.
All participants will also receive 12 hours of psychotherapy “in accordance with current practice in psychedelic research,” the press release said.
The hope is that the research will serve as a basis for further clinical exploration of psilocybin as a treatment for depression without the need for psychotherapy.
The CAMH study is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The grant was awarded this month and, according to the hospital, is the first time the federal government has provided money for such a study.
CAMH previously participated in a global study that found that psilocybin, the active component of magic mushrooms, could be an effective way to treat depression in some patients. (Richard Vogel/The Associated Press)
It comes amid a growing wave of worldwide interest in the potential use of psychedelics such as psilocybin, ketamine, MDMA (the active ingredient in ecstasy) and LSD to treat mental illness, as well as a number of other medical conditions.
In its press release, CAMH emphasized the need for well-designed clinical trials to drive this type of research, as approvals from Canada’s federal authorities have so far been limited.
In 2020, Health Canada granted permission to 16 health professionals to use psilocybin themselves to help develop therapies for future use.
Earlier this year, however, the federal health minister rejected applications from more than 100 health professionals — including doctors, psychologists, clinical counselors, social workers and nurses — to use psychedelic drugs as part of psychotherapy treatments.
Meanwhile, Health Canada suspended a study on MDMA-assisted psychotherapy this summer over patient safety concerns.