title: Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial.
abstract: Cancer patients often develop chronic, clinically significant symptoms of depression and anxiety. Previous studies suggest that psilocybin may decrease depression and anxiety in cancer patients. The effects of psilocybin were studied in 51 cancer patients with life-threatening diagnoses and symptoms of depression and/or anxiety. This randomized, double-blind, cross-over trial investigated the effects of a very low (placebo-like) dose (1 or 3 mg/70 kg) vs. a high dose (22 or 30 mg/70 kg) of psilocybin administered in counterbalanced sequence with 5 weeks between sessions and a 6-month follow-up. Instructions to participants and staff minimized expectancy effects. Participants, staff, and community observers rated participant moods, attitudes, and behaviors throughout the study. High-dose psilocybin produced large decreases in clinician- and self-rated measures of depressed mood and anxiety, along with increases in quality of life, life meaning, and optimism, and decreases in death anxiety. At 6-month follow-up, these changes were sustained, with about 80% of participants continuing to show clinically significant decreases in depressed mood and anxiety. Participants attributed improvements in attitudes about life/self, mood, relationships, and spirituality to the high-dose experience, with >80% endorsing moderately or greater increased well-being/life satisfaction. Community observer ratings showed corresponding changes. Mystical-type psilocybin experience on session day mediated the effect of psilocybin dose on therapeutic outcomes.
  
  
  
  ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00465595.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA rgriff@jhmi.edu.|Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Roland R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Griffiths
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Carducci
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Umbricht
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Brian D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Mary P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Cosimano
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Margaret A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Klinedinst
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D001290:Attitude; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006213:Hallucinogens / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D011562:Psilocybin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D006213:Hallucinogens; D011562:Psilocybin
keywords: Psilocybin; anxiety; cancer; depression; hallucinogen; mystical experience; symptom remission