{"id":"doi:10.1177/0269881116675512","kind":"article","title":"Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial","authors":["Stephen Ross","Anthony P. Bossis","Jeffrey R. Guss","Gabrielle Agin-Liebes","Tara C. Malone","Barry H Cohen","Sarah E. Mennenga","Alexander Belser","Krystallia Kalliontzi","James S. Babb","Zhe Su","Patricia M A Corby","Brian L. Schmidt"],"author_count":13,"year":2016,"published":"2016-11-30","venue":"Journal of Psychopharmacology","cited_by":1697,"doi":"10.1177/0269881116675512","arxiv_id":null,"nct_id":null,"source_url":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881116675512","archive_url":"https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.1177/0269881116675512","updated":null,"pmid":"27909164","pmcid":"PMC5367551","openalex_id":"W2559739670","pdf_url":"https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0269881116675512","abstract":"BACKGROUND: Clinically significant anxiety and depression are common in patients with cancer, and are associated with poor psychiatric and medical outcomes. Historical and recent research suggests a role for psilocybin to treat cancer-related anxiety and depression. METHODS: In this double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial, 29 patients with cancer-related anxiety and depression were randomly assigned and received treatment with single-dose psilocybin (0.3 mg/kg) or niacin, both in conjunction with psychotherapy. The primary outcomes were anxiety and depression assessed between groups prior to the crossover at 7 weeks. RESULTS: Prior to the crossover, psilocybin produced immediate, substantial, and sustained improvements in anxiety and depression and led to decreases in cancer-related demoralization and hopelessness, improved spiritual wellbeing, and increased quality of life. At the 6.5-month follow-up, psilocybin was associated with enduring anxiolytic and anti-depressant effects (approximately 60-80% of participants continued with clinically significant reductions in depression or anxiety), sustained benefits in existential distress and quality of life, as well as improved attitudes towards death. The psilocybin-induced mystical experience mediated the therapeutic effect of psilocybin on anxiety and depression. CONCLUSIONS: In conjunction with psychotherapy, single moderate-dose psilocybin produced rapid, robust and enduring anxiolytic and anti-depressant effects in patients with cancer-related psychological distress. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00957359.","abstract_license":"CC-BY (publisher license, via OpenAlex)","license":"cc-by","is_open_access":true,"retracted":false,"peer_reviewed":null,"categories":["Psychedelics and Drug Studies"],"details":null,"provenance":"openalex+europepmc","attribution":"Abstract of \"Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial\" by Stephen Ross, Anthony P. Bossis, Jeffrey R. Guss et al., https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881116675512, used under its Creative Commons Attribution license (CC-BY); markup removed, otherwise unmodified.","topics":[{"slug":"psychiatric-therapeutics","name":"Novel Psychiatric Therapeutics","domain_slug":"neuroscience"}],"cited_in_dossiers":[]}