Research library / Observational study
Five-year outcomes of psilocybin-assisted therapy for Major Depressive Disorder
Davis AK, DellaCrosse MA, Sepeda ND, et al. Journal of Psychedelic Studies 2025;9(4):320-329
This paper revisits people who took part in a 2021 Johns Hopkins trial of psilocybin-assisted therapy for major depression. Of the original 24, 21 agreed to a follow-up roughly five years later and 18 finished it. Researchers combined clinician depression ratings with questionnaires and interviews. About two thirds were in remission at the five-year point, and anxiety and daily functioning were better than before the trial. Many described lasting shifts in how they saw themselves and related to others, and no severe adverse events were reported. The result is encouraging but limited: the group is small, there is no comparison group over the five years, and people may have had other treatment or life changes in that time. It shows durability is possible, not that psilocybin caused it.
What it found
- 67% of participants were in remission from depression at least five years after treatment
- Anxiety and day-to-day functional impairment were also improved compared with baseline
- Interviews described lasting changes in outlook, emotional health, self-acceptance and relationships
- No severe adverse events were reported