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Psilocybin is a psychoactive compound that naturally occurs in some species of hallucinogenic mushrooms. When ingested, this compound is converted into psilocin and interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain. This interaction results in altered mood, perception, and cognition and may produce vivid auditory and visual experiences as well as profound spiritual and/or emotional insights.
Now a new study has found that psilocybin may help improve sleep quality and reduce symptoms of depression. This isn’t the first study to investigate the therapeutic effect of psilocybin on mental health conditions either.
Various studies have found that this psychedelic compound has the potential to treat conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression by inducing rapid and lasting improvements in mood after 1 or 2 sessions. This is different from conventional antidepressants, which require long-term use and take time before their effects start to show.
The new study was led by Robin Carhart-Harris and Matthew J. Reid, whose objective was to understand if disturbances in sleep influence psilocybin’s antidepressant effects and if the psychedelic improved sleep quality.
This, they hoped, would inform whether sleep could be used as a new therapeutic target to enhance the effectiveness of pharmacological treatments or replace them. For their study, the investigators recruited over 600 participants who had planned to attend guided psychedelic sessions involving psilocybin like ceremonial experiences or retreats.
Roughly 60% of the participants met the diagnostic criteria for depression, with the investigators finding that almost all of them suffered from sleep disturbances. Insomnia was the most common complaint, followed by awakening early and hypersomnia.
Additionally, sleep issues were the most severe symptom of depression for 26% of the participants. When psilocybin was administered, the investigators found that it decreased symptoms of depression.
In particular, they observed that depressive symptoms had reduced by about 33% just two weeks after the drug was first administered. By the 4-week mark, the symptoms had dropped by more than 50%, with the investigators noting that these improvements were more noticeable in those who had severe depression at the beginning of the study.
Additionally, they examined the relationship between depression and sleep disturbances, finding that those who had serious sleep issues at the beginning were less likely to experience relief from depression, even if some symptoms were alleviated.
Reid explained that this suggested that sleep disturbances could interfere with the therapeutic effects of psilocybin, possibly acting as a barrier to delivering the best outcomes.
The study’s findings were reported in Current Psychiatry Reports. Other researchers involved in the study included Brandon Weiss, Hannes Kettner, and Tessa F. Blanken.
Enterprises like Seelos Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: SEEL) are also engaged in studying psilocybin and other hallucinogens to unearth their therapeutic applications. As their work hits different milestones, we are bound to learn how exactly these substances work to address different mental health conditions.
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