therapeutic action: reduction in depressive symptoms

Naturalistic psychedelic therapy: The role of relaxation and subjective drug effects in antidepressant response

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Researchers studied how LSD and psilocybin work in real-world therapy settings in Switzerland. They found that these compounds effectively reduced depression symptoms in patients who hadn’t responded to other treatments. Surprisingly, the feeling of relaxation during the session was more important for improvement than having intense mystical experiences. The therapy was generally safe, with side effects that resolved quickly.

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Comparative Efficacy and Functional Outcomes of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies in Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Systematic Review of Recent Clinical Trials

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This systematic review examines how psychedelic-assisted therapies like ketamine and psilocybin help people with severe, treatment-resistant depression that doesn’t respond to standard antidepressants. The analysis of 10 recent clinical trials shows these therapies work quickly, often providing symptom relief within days rather than weeks, and importantly, they also help people return to work and daily functioning. These treatments are generally well-tolerated with minimal cognitive side effects, suggesting they could become important new options for patients who haven’t benefited from conventional depression treatments.

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Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: Potential Benefits and Challenges in Mental Health Treatment

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This review examines how psychedelic substances like psilocybin and MDMA, when combined with professional psychotherapy, show promise in treating difficult-to-treat mental health conditions including depression, PTSD, and anxiety. While early research suggests these substances could help in cases where conventional treatments have failed, the evidence is still preliminary and limited by small study sizes. Psychedelics appear to work by changing how the brain processes information and memories, though much more rigorous research is needed before they can be considered standard treatments.

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From Efficacy to Effectiveness: Evaluating Psychedelic Randomized Controlled Trials for Trustworthy Evidence-Based Policy and Practice

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This paper discusses why testing psychedelic therapies in clinical trials is more complicated than testing regular drugs. When people take psychedelics like MDMA or psilocybin, they clearly notice the effects, which makes it hard to keep the study ‘blinded’ (where neither patients nor researchers know who got the real drug). The author argues that for therapies combining drugs with counseling, this actually makes sense because the therapy itself is part of how the treatment works, not just a confounding factor. However, for stand-alone drug use, this unblinding is a real problem that makes it unclear whether the drug or people’s expectations caused the improvement.

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Biological markers of treatment response to serotonergic psychedelic therapies: a systematic review

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This review examines how scientists can predict which patients will benefit most from psychedelic-assisted therapy for depression by measuring biological markers in the brain and blood. Researchers found that certain brain changes and protein levels—particularly involving the amygdala, specific brain regions, and inflammation markers—appear linked to treatment success. While the current studies are small, they suggest that measuring these biological markers could eventually help doctors personalize psychedelic treatments for depression.

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Psilocybin-assisted group psychotherapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction for frontline healthcare provider COVID-19-related depression and burnout: A randomized controlled trial

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Researchers tested whether combining psilocybin therapy with mindfulness training could better treat depression and burnout in frontline healthcare workers than mindfulness training alone. Twenty-five doctors and nurses participated in the study, with some receiving mindfulness training combined with psilocybin therapy in a group setting, while others received mindfulness training only. After two weeks, those who received the combined treatment showed significantly greater improvements in depression symptoms and burnout, with no serious side effects reported. This suggests that psilocybin-assisted therapy combined with mindfulness training could be a promising treatment for depression and burnout among healthcare professionals.

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