CAMH to study effects of psilocybin on depression after receiving first federal grant

TORONTO — The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health says it has been awarded Canada’s first federal grant to study the effects of a psychedelic chemical component in “magic mushrooms” on treatment-resistant depression.

The psychiatric institute says researchers will explore whether experiencing the effects of psilocybin – found in “magic mushrooms” – is necessary for it to have antidepressant effects. 

The clinical trial will recruit 60 adults with treatment-resistant depression over three years and administer a full dose of psilocybin, plus a blocker to prevent the psychedelic effects, to a random third of participants.

Dr. Ishrat Husain, head of CAMH’s clinical trials unit and principal investigator of the new study, says there’s a “growing interest and body of knowledge” on using psychedelic drugs for treating mental illness and addictions.