A small clinical trial published in JAMA Network Open found that psilocybin, a psychedelic drug, can alleviate feelings of despair and burnout among frontline healthcare workers struggling with COVID-19 pandemic-related depression. The study involved 30 physicians, nurses, and advanced-practice practitioners who received either psilocybin or a placebo.
The researchers randomly assigned participants to receive either 25mg or 100mg of psilocybin from February 2022 to December 2022. Participants had provided frontline patient care for over a year without any history of mental illness but had moderate or severe depression at enrollment.
The intervention consisted of preparation visits, medication sessions, and integration visits. Participants underwent rating scales assessments at baseline and 28 days after treatment. The study found that the psilocybin group experienced an average improvement in depression scores of -21.33, compared to -9.33 for the placebo group (difference: -12.00).
The researchers noted that frontline healthcare workers faced intense suffering during the pandemic, including high death rates, decision-making under uncertainty, and prolonged work shifts. The study suggests that psilocybin can help clinicians transcend their suffering and alleviate feelings of burnout. Notably, PTSD score changes did not reach statistical significance.
Source: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/psilocybin-can-lift-depression-clinicians-who-worked-covid-19-frontlines-trial-finds