Keywords
Psilocybin; Depression symptomology; Single-dose therapy; Meta-analysis; Novel therapeutic interventions; Psychoactive substances
Abstract
This research dives into the relationship between pre- and post-psilocybin study reports and the implications this has on depression symptomology. Psilocybin, which contains psychoactive properties found in specific mushrooms, also known as “magic mushrooms”, has increasingly shown its potential therapeutic use and impacts on mental well-being. With Western society becoming more open to more novel therapeutic interventions, recent studies have investigated psilocybin regarding depression scores from a single dose.
Using a systematic literature review, pre-and post-treatment and paired sample studies from 2010 to the present about single-dose psilocybin’s impact on depression symptomology scores were analyzed using quantitative analyses. With twelve studies fitting specified inclusion criteria, effect sizes for all studies were obtained or calculated, with all individual effect sizes showing a large decrease in depression symptomology scores, with the overall pooled effect size at 2.4539 and the overall pooled effect size for Cohen’s d at 1.6753. Limitations present in this analysis included heterogeneity and variability between studies, though, there was no statistically significant evidence of publication bias throughout the studies.
With statistical evidence that just a single dose of psilocybin has such a significant impact on depression symptomology, this provides a catalyst for future psilocybin treatments, with the potential to go beyond depression symptomology. Deepening the understanding of psilocybin's potential to lessen depression symptomology can provide insights into more holistic methods of mental health treatments that could benefit people as an alternative to current mental health practices. This meta-analysis highlights the need for more research on psilocybin treatments to address the limitations of this analysis.
Thesis Completion Year
2024
Thesis Completion Semester
Fall
Thesis Chair
Saunders, Steven
College
College of Sciences
Thesis Discipline
Psychology
Language
English
Access Status
Campus Access
Length of Campus Access
5 years
Campus Location
Orlando (Main) Campus
STARS Citation
Fazio, Amber, "A Meta-Analytic Review Psilocybin Experiences And Implications On Depression Symptomology" (2024). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 180.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hut2024/180
Rights Statement
