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Anorexia nervosa is a common eating disorder characterized by distorted body image, extreme weight loss, and an extreme fear of gaining weight. Conventional treatments like nutritional rehabilitation and cognitive-behavioral therapy aren’t always successful, with some patients struggling with lifelong symptoms.
This has prompted researchers to investigate the effectiveness of alternative therapies like psychedelic medicine.
A clinical trial conducted last year by scientists from the University of California, San Diego evaluated the therapeutic potential and safety of psilocybin in treating anorexia nervosa in ten participants, all of whom were diagnosed according to the DSM-5 criteria.
Psilocybin is the psychoactive compound found in hallucinogenic mushrooms. Numerous studies have shown that the compound possesses the potential to treat mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and addiction. This psychedelic acts on the serotonin system, which scientists believe may address aspects of anorexia not dealt with by traditional treatments.
The study was led by associate clinical professor at the UCSD Eating Disorder Center, Dr. Stephanie Knatz Peck.
For their phase 1 trial, the scientists administered a 25mg dose of synthetic psilocybin to every participant, in combination with psychological support prior to, during and after the psychedelic’s administration. They observed that the treatment was accepted by all participants, with most admitting to observing meaningful shifts in their psychological outlook.
In their recent article, the scientists expanded on their earlier research using recollections and interviews of first-hand experiences from the participants.
90% stated that the psychedelic session was 1 of the 5 most meaningful experiences of their lives, with many observing profound shifts in life priorities and self-perception. Those who responded to the therapy also admitted to experiencing transformative changes in their relationship with their eating behaviors and bodies.
In particular, 70% reported shifts in personal identity and improvements in their quality of life while 60% saw a decrease in the importance of their physical appearances. Additionally, many of them expressed feeling dissociated from anorexia’s centrality to their identity.
While these findings are promising, they also show a variability in how individuals responded to treatment. For instance, improvements in weight were inconsistent and modest across the participants.
In their report, Peck explained that their findings suggested that psilocybin could help support meaningful psychological change for some individuals with anorexia. However, the lack of consistent physical and behavioral recovery metrics suggested that psilocybin by itself would not be enough as a standalone therapy.
In their conclusion, the scientists called for further study to fully optimize treatment outcomes and understand the variability in response.
While the original trial’s findings were reported in Nature Medicine, the recent review was reported in Psychedelics.
Research into the therapeutic use of various psychedelic compounds is still in its infancy, and as time goes by, the work being done by entities like atai Life Sciences N.V. (NASDAQ: ATAI) could shed more light on how exactly these substances can be used in the treatment of different mental health conditions which have defied conventional treatments.
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