A recent study published in Communications Medicine found that psilocybin therapy, combined with psychotherapy, can be an effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in military veterans. The study, which was conducted at The Ohio State University College of Social Work, involved 12 veterans with treatment-resistant PTSD.

Study Results

Nine of the 12 veterans in the trial no longer met the criteria for PTSD a month after the treatment. The 11-week trial period combined eight hours of psychotherapy followed by two doses of synthetic psilocybin given two to three weeks apart. Six to eight more hours of integrative therapy followed the drug treatment. The most common side effect was a mild headache after taking psilocybin.

According to study leader Alan Davis, the results are striking, especially for a population with severe treatment-resistant PTSD. The ability for patients to revisit difficult events and find a new way of understanding them has been exciting, Davis said in a statement.

The study’s findings add to earlier evidence suggesting a benefit from psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms. In April, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing health regulators to speed reviews of psychedelic treatments and increase federal funding for research into their use.

Future Research

The researchers hope to secure funding to follow up with a larger randomized, controlled clinical trial. In the meantime, they will continue to assess the treatment’s effectiveness up to six months after the current trial, as well as biological changes and effects on other PTSD-related problems like sleep disorders and substance use.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.