Psychedelics in the Treatment of Depression: A Critical Appraisal of Evidence

Psychedelics as a potential treatment for depression is an irresistible topic in the mainstream press, but what is the evidence base for their use? In this podcast, psychiatrist and journal Digital Editor Dr. Julia Ann Koretski (of Mass General Brigham Newton-Wellesley Hospital) leads Dr. Ishrat Husain and Dr. Richard Balon through an illuminating discussion of where we stand in clinical trials research and the important limitations of current findings. Dr. Husain is the senior author of "A Critical Appraisal of Evidence on the Efficacy and Safety of Serotonergic Psychedelic Drugs as Emerging Antidepressants: Mind the Evidence Gap" in the November-December 2022 issue of the journal (Volume 42, Issue 6). He is a psychiatrist and researcher at the Center for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. Dr. Balon, Associate Editor of the journal and psychiatrist at Wayne State University in Detroit, is author of the accompanying editorial, "Are Magic Mushrooms Really Magic? Psilocybin in the Treatment of Depression."