The Magic in Mushrooms for Treating Depression

The Time is Now

What if there was an easy and fast way to treat depression? This would be prompt, as COVID-19 has has flooded Canada’s mental health care systems. For example, the Ontario Medical Association says that 1 out of 5 Canadians cannot get the mental health care they need. Indeed, the number of people with depression in Canada has doubled since 2020. 

Furthermore, research shows a greater demand for antidepressant prescriptions globally, with a market size increased of $3.29 billion USD between 2019 and 2020. Now more than ever, the high demand and low supply of mental health resources in Canada is causing longer wait times and patient backlogs. Thus, there is an urgent need to improve Canada’s clinical capacities with more efficient approaches.

Opening the Regulatory Doors to Psychedelics 

As this mental health crisis calls for more effective treatment options, some clinical researchers have looked to psychedelics. With many investigators revealing the powerful therapeutic effects of substances like psilocybin, the controversial red tape surrounding these drugs is slowing loosening. Even though these substances are not legal in Canada, doctors can now use them in specific situations through the Special Access Program (SAP). This happens when other medications and treatments for depression have not worked for certain individuals. 

Context and Safety 

Psilocybin mushrooms seem to be a solution for treating mental illness. Research on psilocybin has shown remarkable benefits from its use, including mitigating treatment resistant depression and death anxiety. Also, these mushrooms often only need to be taken a few times to treat depression in the long-term. Because of this, psilocybin could help reduce the number of people feeling depressed in a fast and timely manner. However, the government states that these mushrooms should only be taken under the supervision of a doctor. 

Psilocybin Assisted Therapy for Major Depressive Disorder

Some antidepressant medicines often take weeks or months to produce results. In contrast, a recent study suggests that taking two small doses of psilocybin mushrooms can help reduce depression. Better yet, these benefits can last for up to one year! Scientists also found that supplementing psilocybin with traditional anti-depressants did not add significant benefits. This suggests that other drugs may not be needed in some cases. Even though these results show promise, researchers do no know what the long-term effects of taking these mushrooms are. Thus, the Canadian government might want to invest in studying these mushrooms more to be certain they are safe. 

Takeaways

The COVID-19 pandemic has made it harder to get help for depression. Using special mushrooms called psilocybin could be a good way to treat depression. But, we need to study these mushrooms more to make sure they are safe for use. Overall, these mushrooms could be a fast and easy way to treat depression, thereby, making the mental health care system in Canada more efficient.

References

Gukasyan, N., Davis, K., Barrett, F., Cosimano, M., Sepeda, N., Johnson, M., & Griffiths, R. (2022).Efficacy and safety of psilocybin-assisted treatment for major depressive disorder: Prospective 12-month follow-up. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 36(2), 151–158. https://doi.org/10.1177/02698811211073759 

Sweeney, M., Nayak, S., Hurwitz, E., Mitchell, L. Swift, T. C., & Griffiths, R. R. (2022). Comparison of psychedelic and near-death or other non-ordinary experiences in changing attitudes about death and dying. PloS One, 17(8), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0271926