In an exploration of psychedelic medicine's potential for treating one of psychiatry's most challenging conditions, researchers at University of California, San Diego (UCSD) have provided an analysis and further details of a trial published in Nature Medicine that showed how psilocybin therapy affects individuals with anorexia nervosa . In an article in Psychedelics , the authors of the original trial offer "a granular view of findings based on qualitative data from semi-structured interviews, extensive feedback and interviews from participants, and [their] subjective interpretations of data patterns." This new emerging topic review, titled "Psychedelic treatment for anorexia nervosa: A first-hand view of how psilocybin treatment did and did not help" reveals both promising outcomes and important limitations that could shape future treatment approaches.
The analysis, published November 7, 2024, offers a unique first-hand perspective on how psilocybin treatment impacts patients with anorexia nervosa, a condition that maintains the highest mortality rate among psychiatric illnesses and has historically resisted conventional treatments. "Our findings suggest that psilocybin may be helpful in supporting meaningful psychological change in a subset of people with anorexia nervosa," says Dr. Stephanie Knatz Peck, lead author of the study.
"What's particularly interesting is that 60% of participants reported a reduction in the importance of physical appearance, while 70% noted qualit.