According to the findings of a new study published in Archives of General Psychiatry, psilocybin, the naturally occurring compound found on a variety of fungi that produces hallucinogenic effects when ingested, can greatly reduce anxiety and alleviates depression in cancer patients.
A research team made up of several medical doctors and researchers conducted "double-blind, placebo-controlled" tests on 12 cancer patients, ages 36 to 58, in which moderate doses of psilocybin was administered.
Doctors administered psilocybin to the cancer patients, and then monitored their heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature, New Scientist reported.
After receiving one dose of psilocybin, all of the patients reported an improvement in mood that lasted longer than two weeks, the Los Angeles Times reported, and a lessening of anxiety and depression for up to six months. In addition, following treatment, most of the patients showed a decreased need for narcotic pain medication.
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"We also observed no adverse psychological effects from the treatment," the study's authors wrote. "All subjects tolerated the treatment sessions well, with no indication of severe anxiety or a 'bad trip.'"It has been 35 years since research has been conducted on the medical benefits of hallucinogenic drugs.
"Political and cultural pressures forced an end to these studies in the 1970s," said Dr. Charles Grob, the lead researcher said in a press release. "We were able to revive this research under strict federal supervision and demonstrate that this is a field of study with great promise for alleviating anxiety and other psychiatric symptoms."
