WHAT'S NEW IN PSILOCYBIN RESEARCH 2025
WHAT'S NEW IN PSILOCYBIN RESEARCH 2025
WRITTEN BY DR. LINDSAY MACKAY, MD, CCFP
Psilocybin continues to show its potential in treating some of the most challenging health conditions. Recent studies have highlighted its effectiveness in improving treatment-resistant depression, reducing the frequency of debilitating cluster headaches, and helping individuals with addictions, traumatic brain injuries , eating disorders and offering hope to those with long COVID symptoms. Research has also explored its role in enhancing psychological flexibility, emotional empathy and building stronger therapeutic relationships. Here’s a look at the latest research!
Depression
Predicting Psilocybin Therapy Success
Brain scans (fMRI) before psilocybin assisted therapy can help predict how effective it might be for depression, offering a potential tool for personalized treatment plans.
Psilocybin vs Antidepressants
This study compared the effects of psilocybin vs escitalopram, a common antidepressant, with therapeutic support on depression severity and followed up after six months. They found that both treatments led to sustained improvements in depression symptoms, with psilocybin also showing increases in functioning, meaning in life and connectedness compared to escitalopram.
Therapeutic Relationship
A strong bond between participants and therapist facilitators enhances both the immediate effects of psilocybin therapy and long-term improvements up to six months after treatment in people with depression.
Discontinuing Antidepressants before Psilocybin Therapy
Stopping traditional antidepressants like SSRIs and SNRIs before psilocybin therapy may reduce the beneficial effect compared to people who are not on antidepressants prior to treatment. Further research is needed to confirm these findings as this study did not compare to patients who continue their antidepressants.
Psychological Flexibility
In this study, flexibility in thinking and experience acceptance were associated with an improvement in depression symptoms following psilocybin therapy. This finding adds to existing research that increasing flexibility in the way we think may be an important mechanism of change in psilocybin therapy for depression.
Treatment-Resistant Depression
Single-dose psilocybin with therapy shows promise for people with severe depression who haven’t responded to at least five other treatments, with the benefit maintained for 12 weeks. Research participants who also had a diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder had a reduced benefit from treatment.
Front Line Healthcare Workers during COVID-19 with Depression
Psilocybin therapy reduced depression and burnout symptoms in healthcare workers affected by front line work during the pandemic and who did not have any mental health conditions prior to COVID-19. This research shows psilocybin’s potential in managing work-related mental health struggles and burnout.
Expectancy and Suggestibility
Past research has shown that an expectation to improve with psilocybin therapy may influence the benefit from treatment. This research instead found that this expectation did not predict the response to psilocybin in patients with depression. They did find that suggestibility, meaning the tendency to accept ideas and information suggested by others, was associated with an improved response from treatment.
Bipolar Type II Depression
Psilocybin-assisted therapy has not been formally studied in people with bipolar depression. This study found that psilocybin therapy was safe and beneficial for 15 people with bipolar type II experiencing a depressive episode. This study supports moving forward with larger studies of psilocybin therapy for this population.
Addictions & Eating Disorders
Alcohol Addiction
Past research has shown that psilocybin therapy may result in positive changes in personality traits, but this has not been explored in research with addictions. In a research study using psilocybin therapy for alcohol addiction, the personality trait of impulsiveness was reduced after treatment and was linked to reduced drinking.
Methamphetamine Addiction
In a case report of a 36 year old person struggling with methamphetamine addiction, psilocybin therapy was safe and beneficial after completing withdrawal management in hospital. This case report helps to support future research using psilocybin therapy for people who struggle with this addiction.
Anorexia
This difficult to treat and life threatening eating disorder urgently needs effective treatments. This early phase study with ten females with anorexia, found that psilocybin therapy was safe, tolerable and acceptable. This study opens the door to further research with this population and offers hope for a potential treatment option.
Other Conditions
Long COVID
A case report of a 41 year old female with long-COVID syndrome found her symptoms improved significantly after self medicating with psilocybin and MDMA. This case report can help to support future research to assess the safety and potential benefit of psychedelic therapy for individuals with long COVID syndrome, which currently has no approved treatments.
Cluster Headaches
Research study participants returned for a second round of psilocybin three dose “pulse” treatment six months after their initial treatment for cluster headaches. The repeat psilocybin pulse regimen significantly reduced the frequency of cluster headache attacks and also showed that prior response may not predict the effect of repeated treatment. This research offers hope for people with this debilitating condition.
HIV-Related Shame
Shame related to having a diagnosis of HIV is associated with problematic substance use and Psilocybin-assisted therapy was associated with a large reduction in feelings of shame linked to HIV, potentially improving overall mental health for affected individuals.
PTSD
This small study gave a single 25 mg dose of psilocybin with therapy support to 22 adults with PTSD to evaluate safety and early benefits. There were no serious safety concerns and PTSD symptoms dropped substantially over three months (with related gains in daily functioning and quality of life), suggesting a fast, meaningful signal that this approach could help when carefully delivered. While larger controlled studies are needed, these results highlight psilocybin’s potential as a new option for people with PTSD.
OCD
This small study in adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder gave two psilocybin sessions four weeks apart (a very low 1 mg dose, then 10 mg). The 10 mg session produced a rapid, moderate-to-large drop in compulsive symptoms after one week (not seen with 1 mg). The benefit faded over the next three weeks and there were no serious side effects. The takeaway is that psilocybin may briefly ease OCD compulsions, pointing to the need for larger, randomized trials and testing multi-dose courses.
Parkinson’s Disease
This first-of-its-kind pilot tested two guided psilocybin sessions (10 mg then 25 mg) in 12 people with Parkinson’s who had depression and/or anxiety. There were no serious safety issues or worsening of Parkinson’s symptoms, and participants showed meaningful improvements in mood, with some gains also seen in motor function and thinking, that lasted for weeks to months. This signals that psilocybin therapy could safely help mood (and possibly other symptoms) in Parkinson’s and merits larger trials.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
21 veterans with prior traumatic brain injury attended a psilocybin retreat (two dosing sessions 48 hours apart, with preparation and integration), and four weeks later showed large improvements: PTSD symptoms dropped by ~50%, depression by ~65%, and anxiety by ~28%. Brain wave monitoring using EEG recordings also shifted toward more typical patterns, suggesting changes in brain function alongside symptom relief. This points to psilocybin-assisted retreats as a potentially fast-acting option for TBI-affected veterans, however larger, randomized trials are needed to confirm safety and effectiveness.
Wellness & Psychedelics
This review pulled together 19 studies including 949 healthy adults and found that psychedelics like psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, and 5-MeO-DMT were often followed by lasting improvements in well-being (positive mood, engagement, relationships, meaning, and a sense of accomplishment). Beyond treating illness, psychedelics may help some people flourish, yet larger, longer randomized trials with careful safety tracking are needed before drawing firm conclusions
Dr. Lindsay Mackay, MD, CCFP, is a physician and researcher specializing in addiction medicine in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and is involved with psychedelic-assisted therapy clinical work and research.
