In New York, NYU Langone Medical Center researchers showed that when combined with psychological counseling, distressed cancer patients that took a single dose of psilocybin experienced significantly reduced mental anguish for periods extending several months. The study was published side by side with a similar study from Johns Hopkins University. Study results were endorsed in eleven accompanying editorials from leading experts in psychiatry, addiction and palliative care.
“Our study showed that psilocybin facilitated experiences that drove reductions in psychological distress,” said co-investigator Anthony Bossis, PhD. “And if it’s true for cancer care, then it could apply to other stressful medical conditions.”
Bossis cautions that patients should not consume psilocybin on their own or without supervision by a physician and a trained counselor. He also says, “Psilocybin therapy may not work for everyone, and some groups, such as people with schizophrenia, as well as adolescents, should not be treated with it.”