Longitudinal Experiences of Canadians Receiving Compassionate Access to Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy

Longitudinal experiences of Canadians receiving compassionate access to psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy

Recent clinical trials have found that the serotonergic psychedelic psilocybin effectively alleviates anxiodepressive symptoms in patients with life-threatening illnesses when given in a supportive environment. These outcomes prompted Canada to establish legal pathways for therapeutic access to psilocybin, coupled with psychological support. Despite over one-hundred Canadians receiving compassionate access since 2020, there has been little exami…

Psilocybin and escitalopram produce antidepressant effects via distinct brain mechanisms, study suggests

A new study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry sheds light on how psilocybin and the antidepressant escitalopram affect brain responses to emotional stimuli in people with major depressive disorder. While both treatments led to improvements in mood, only escitalopram was linked to a reduction in brain activity in response to emotional faces. Psilocybin, on the other hand, appeared to preserve or slightly enhance emotional responsive…