United States: Psychedelic substances that alter one’s perception can be beneficial for cancer patients or alcoholics, two recent studies from New York University have revealed.
In one experiment, researchers discovered that psilocybin– the main extract of magic mushrooms- lessened anxiety, depression, anger, and other clinical mental health issues in individuals with cancer in addition to therapy, as reported by HealthDay.
Psilocybin Eases Anxiety and Depression
The second determined that there is an improvement in depression, impulsiveness, and other unwanted feelings of people being treated for alcohol use disorder and that they responded better when they took psilocybin.
“Our findings suggested that the mental health benefits of psilocybin therapy for cancer patients may reach far beyond what we have previously understood,” Dr. Petros Petridis, lead author of the first study and a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, said in a news release from the school.
In the first report, the authors conducted an exploratory analysis of data collected from two prior clinical trials that employed psilocybin-facilitated psychotherapy to treat anxiety and depression in 77 men and women with cancer.
It indicated that, compared to a dose of vitamin B3 widely used as a placebo, the presence of psilocybin enhanced the efficacy of therapy as far as addressing patients’ emotions was concerned. The positive effects were sustained at least for the next six months.
Additionally, the study found that the use of psilocybin did not have any deleterious effects such as paranoia, psychosis, and phobia.
Psilocybin Assists in Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment
In the second study, 84 participants diagnosed with alcohol use disorder were divided by randomization for the therapy sessions with the psilocybin or the placebo.
According to the researchers, the participants who received psilocybin demonstrated better changes in impulsivity, depression, and susceptibility compared to the subjects of the placebo group.
“Since impulsiveness has long been linked to both excessive drinking and relapse after treatment, the personality changes brought about by psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy may help those recovering from alcohol dependence remain resilient to internal and external stressors known to trigger relapse,” lead researcher Broc Pagni, a postdoctoral fellow of psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, added in news release.

The patients became more ‘transparent’ or less defensive about their thoughts and feelings.
Masculine participants reported greater positive affect gain than feminine participants, whereas feminine participants reported greater openness gain compared to masculine participants.
Publication and Ongoing Research
However, two reviewers pointed out that such studies took place in clinical treatment settings and that psilocybin is safest when administered by a physician, as reported by HealthDay.

The first report is published in Nature Mental Health, while the second is published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
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