They are looking into the effects the psychoactive drug has on patients. Photo / 123rf
They are looking into the effects the psychoactive drug has on patients. Photo / 123rf
A new trial is set to look into whether a hallucinogenic drug could provide effective treatment for those with severe depression.
University of Otago Christchurch professor Marie Crowe said the trial will take 10 weeks and involve eight weeks of psychotherapy and two full doses of psilocybin (magic mushrooms).
"Depressionis such a pervasive thing in New Zealand, and elsewhere, and people don't always respond to anti-depressants and some people don't want to take them. So this would provide another option."
She said recent psilocybin studies, where participants went into MRIs, found the substance created greater connections between different regions of the brain.
"It freed people up from their long held patterns of rumination, you know overthinking things and their excessive focus on themselves. And the people who had the psilocybin, they described the experience as having this greater sense of connection to themselves, to others and the world."
Crowe said she was inspired to undertake the trial because there was a significant number of people who don't respond to antidepressants.
"And we had quite a bit of contact with overseas, people who have been running psilocybin trials overseas and we were really impressed by their results."
She is hoping to start the trial later this year or early next and those involved need to have tried two other antidepressants without effect.
A feasibility study will be done first, which will look into whether those using the drug receive the desired effects and if it works, then they will run a full study with a control group.
In the long term, if the trial is successful, Crowe said she would love to see people gain as much access to psychotherapies as they do antidepressants and mental health services to provide psilocybin-assisted therapy to those who don't respond to other medicine.
WHERE TO GET HELP • Lifeline: 0800 543 354 (available 24/7) • Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7) • Youth services: (06) 3555 906 • Youthline: 0800 376 633 • What's Up: 0800 942 8787 (11am to 11pm) • Depression helpline: 0800 111 757 (available 24/7) • Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155 • Helpline: 1737 If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111
