Description: Depression affects a significant portion of the global population. Psychedelics have serious potential for treating these disorders.
Depression affects over 260 million people worldwide. This number is expected to be much higher as mental health disorders tend to underreported and are difficult to diagnose. Various forms of depression exist including treatment resistant depression as well as unipolar and bipolar depression. The prevalence of these disorders is believed to have significantly increased in wake the COVID-19 pandemic.
Upon diagnosis with depression, a range of treatment options exist. Various forms of psychotherapy help to teach people to overcome any negative attitudes or feelings they may have including; cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT). Medication is often used in tandem with psychotherapy. Common medications include; SSRIs, SNRIs, TCAs and MAOIs. Unfortunately, many people remain unresponsive to medications and many produce unwanted side effects.
Out of all the disorders for which psychedelics hold promise, depression is perhaps the most extensively studied. Clinical trials using psychedelics such as; ketamine, psilocybin, ayahuasca and DMT are underway across the globe, with some Phase IIb trials nearing completion.