Psilocybin therapy can help low-income people who are suffering from depression, according to a new study from Oregon researchers.
In the study, 19 low-income adults participated in two group psilocybin sessions each. To be eligible, they all had to be in stable housing and in therapy, while having no family history of psychosis or mania.
Following the doses, participants reported improvements in their sleep, physical ability, cognitive function, social ability, fatigue, anxiety, and the impact of pain on their everyday lives.
Three months later, researchers found that some of these improvements had diminished. Specifically, the reductions around the impacts of pain became statistically insignificant.
However, the participants still reported they had a higher quality of life than before the therapy began. The average self evaluation—on a scale of one to 10—went from nearly a 5.9 to nearly a 7.4.
"It was safe, it was well tolerated, and we saw really meaningful improvements in their lives," said lead researcher Dr. Matthew Hicks during a Zoom press conference on Aug. 5.
Hicks said this was the first psilocybin study to focus on low-income patients. He said researchers want to build a case for why insurance should cover the treatment, by finding out whether it’s more efficient than current options.
"Is there a cost savings?" said Hicks. "Do people do less psychotherapy or visit their primary care doctors any more or less after doing psilocybin therapy?"
Funding for this research came in part from the Sheri Eckert Foundation, which provides financial aid for low-income psilocybin therapy patients. The psilocybin samples were donated by a farm in Portland.
Psilocybin and SSRIs
The study allowed participation by people who take Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), a type of antidepressant. Hicks said there's evidence that the medication might reduce the efficacy of psilocybin.
Hicks said previously, there have been concerns that using the drugs together could cause serotonin syndrome, a potentially fatal adverse reaction. But he argued further clinical use has dispelled that fear within therapeutic doses.
A report from the Oregon's Psilocybin Evidence Review Writing Group found that serotonin syndrome "has not been reported in clinical studies with psilocybin."
The authors of this study reported no serious adverse reactions.
