The study, which originally appeared in PLOS Medicine, included 25 healthcare workers who worked directly with COVID patients and were battling both depression and burnout. A select group of healthcare workers were administered a single dose of psilocybin in a controlled clinical setting along with 8 weeks of mindfulness training while the other half completed the mindfulness training alone.
For those that were treated with the combination therapy, the group’s depression scores dropped by more than twice as much as the meditation-only group in addition to feeling less emotionally exhausted and more connected to themselves and others.
Nearly half (46%) of healthcare workers who received psilocybin alongside mindfulness techniques were free of depression at two weeks, compared to just 8% who only learned mindfulness practices.
Most psilocybin studies are expensive and hard to scale up as they use two therapists per patient with individual sessions. This study delivered treatment in groups instead, creating an easier path towards scaling and a more accessible option for healthcare workers looking for relief.
To learn more about the study, read here:
https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1004519Â
To learn more about psychedelic research at Huntsman Mental Health Institute, read here:Â
https://medicine.utah.edu/psychiatry/research/labs/upsi
For an overview of group format psilocybin trials, see TEDx presentation here:
https://www.ted.com/talks/benjamin_lewis_could_psychedelics_help_patients_in_therapy
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, burnout, or another mental health crisis, call or text 988 or visit the Huntsman Mental Health Institute Crisis Care Center at 955 West 3300 South in South Salt Lake.
