Key Takeaways
Psychedelics can help people managing emotions linked to cancer and alcoholismIn two different studies, psilocybin improved the mood of people with cancer or in treatment for alcohol use disorderHowever, doctors say psilocybin created these benefits when combined with psychotherapy
MONDAY, Jan. 6, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Mind-opening psychedelic drugs can provide a needed boost to people dealing with cancer or struggling with alcoholism, according to a pair of new studies from New York University.
One study found that psilocybin — the active ingredient in magic mushrooms — significantly reduced anxiety, depression, anger and other mental health problems in people with cancer, when combined with therapy.
The second found that psilocybin can reduce depression, impulsiveness and other unhelpful feelings in people being treated for alcohol use disorder.
“Our findings suggest that the mental health benefits of psilocybin therapy for cancer patients may reach far beyond what we have previously understood,” Dr. Petros Petridis, lead author of the first study and a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, said in a news release from the school.
For the first study, researchers analyzed data from two previous clinical trials that used psilocybin-assisted therapy to address anxiety and depression in nearly 80 men and women with cancer.
The data showed that psilocybin boosted therapy’s ability to help cancer patients deal with their feelings, compared to therapy given with a placebo dose of vitamin B3. The positive benefits lasted at least six months.
Further, results showed that psilocybin did not appear to cause any harmful side effects like paranoia, psychosis or phobia.
For the second study, researchers randomly assigned 84 people with alcohol use disorder to therapy sessions involving either psilocybin or a placebo.
The psilocybin group showed significant improvements in impulsivity, depression and vulnerability, compared to the placebo group, researchers report.
“Since impulsiveness has long been linked to both excessive drinking and relapse after treatment, the personality changes brought about by psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy may help those recovering from alcohol dependence remain resilient to internal and external stressors known to trigger relapse,” lead researcher Broc Pagni, a postdoctoral fellow of psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, said in a news release.
The patients also grew more “open,” or more accepting of their thoughts and emotions.
Men were more likely to experience a boost of positive emotions, while women were more likely to have an increase in openness, researchers said.
However, researchers noted that these studies occurred in controlled therapeutic environments, and that psilocybin is best used under a doctor’s supervision.
The first study appears in the journal Nature Mental Health, and the second in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
More information
The Heffter Research Institute has more on addiction therapy using psilocybin.
SOURCE: New York University, news release, Jan. 2, 2025
What This Means For You
Psilocybin is showing promise in helping troubled people manage their moods.
