Study: Oregon Psilocybin Program Provides Sustained Benefits

An Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) study into patient feedback for Oregon’s medicinal psilocybin program found that most participants report relief from anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, OHSU News reports.

Additionally, nearly two-thirds of participants called the experience one of the top 10 most meaningful of their lives.

“Safety was very similar to what we’ve seen with psychedelics in clinical settings. That’s important because there was a big question around whether or not safety in carefully controlled psilocybin clinical trials would translate into real-world use.” — Todd Korthuis, M.D., M.P.H., lead author and professor at the OHSU School of Medicine, in a statement

The study asked 346 people enrolled in the psilocybin program to report their state of mind initially, then at one week, one month, and three months after a single psilocybin session. Participants submitted their experiences online, and 90% continued to participate through the full three months.

After one month, 91.5% of respondents said their experience was positive, and about 65% said it was one of the most meaningful experiences of their life. After three months, most participants reported fewer moderate-to-severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Few participants said the experience was harmful, with only four individuals who were using psilocybin reporting “adverse” experiences.

“This is the first large-scale study to monitor the safety and mental health symptoms of real people in the real world,” said the study’s senior co-author Adrianne R. Wilson-Poe, Ph.D.

“These early results reveal psilocybin’s potential to improve health in people accessing these services here in Oregon,” OHSU President Shereef Elnahal, M.D., M.B.A., who previously served as undersecretary of health in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, said in the report. “The study also provides important insight for policymakers considering programs that permit psychedelics for the treatment of mental health conditions, including for PTSD and substance use disorders affecting America’s military veterans.”