Psilocybine : un composé de champignons magiques procure un effet anti-anxiété pour des années

L'étude s'ajoute à un nombre croissant de recherches sur les utilisations thérapeutiques des substances psychédéliques. Pour en savoir plus, en anglais, veuillez lire les informations ci-dessous.

By Alexander Martin, Sky News

A single dose of psilocybin, the compound found in magic mushrooms, can have anti-anxiety and anti-depressant effects which can last for nearly five years after being administered, new research suggests.

Researchers at New York University's Grossman School of Medicine said that the compound, when given to patients alongside psychotherapy, resulted in improvements in emotional and existential distress in cancer patients.

The use of the drug was first detailed in a landmark study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology in 2016, where the new research has also been published.

It found that psilocybin "produced immediate, substantial, and sustained improvements in anxiety and depression" in cancer patients, who can often be demoralised by the disease.

A follow-up assessment half a year after the dose found up to 80% of participants had clinically significant reductions in their depression or anxiety, as well as improved attitudes toward death.