London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 24, 2025

Psilocybin: British study finds 'magic mushroom' drug can be safely used to treat depression

Psilocybin: British study finds 'magic mushroom' drug can be safely used to treat depression

The psychedelic drug isolated from so-called "magic mushrooms" could be used to help people with treatment-resistant depression and PTSD.

A groundbreaking British study has found that the psychedelic drug psilocybin can be safely given to patients, and may be used to treat a range of mental health conditions.

Recreational use of the drug - isolated from so-called "magic mushrooms" - has led to it being prohibited in the UK as a Class A substance.

But scientists believe it could have powerful therapeutic uses when administered in groups overseen by trained psychotherapists.

Research from King's College London, in partnership with COMPASS Pathways, has now established that doses of either 10mg or 25mg can be safely administered to up to six participants simultaneously in controlled settings.

The study was led by scientists at King's College London


The study, published in The Journal of Psychopharmacology, has been described as "an essential first step in demonstrating the safety and feasibility" in the therapeutic uses of the drug.

It was given to patients within a controlled setting alongside talking therapy and is being considered a potential treatment for issues such as treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

"Current treatment options for these conditions are ineffective or partially effective for many people, resulting in a significant unmet need," explained KCL.

"Early research has indicated a potential for psilocybin therapy to treat these groups, but no trials have been undertaken at the scale needed for regulatory approval to make the therapy available."

The study used 89 healthy participants, 60 of whom received either a 10mg or 25mg dose in a controlled environment where they had one-to-one support from trained psychotherapists.

The remaining 29 participants acted as the control group and received a placebo, alongside psychological support.

These groups were monitored for between six and eight hours following the administration and then followed up for 12 weeks, during which time they were assessed for changes.

The mushrooms are considered a Class A drug in the UK


Dr James Rucker, the study's lead author, said: "This rigorous study is an important first demonstration that the simultaneous administration of psilocybin can be explored further.

"If we think about how psilocybin therapy (if approved) may be delivered in the future, it's important to demonstrate the feasibility and the safety of giving it to more than one person at the same time, so we can think about how we scale up the treatment.

"This therapy has promise for people living with serious mental health problems, like treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and PTSD. They can be extremely disabling, distressing and disruptive, but current treatment options for these conditions are ineffective or partially effective for many people," Dr Rucker added.

There were no instances during the study of anyone withdrawing due to an adverse event and KCL said there were "no consistent trends" suggesting any short-term or long-term detrimental effects on the participants.

The study will move to Phase III trials in the second half of this year.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
×