Psychedelic drugs could be the future of treating mental illnesses such as depression, after research into the use of psilocybin (more commonly known as magic mushrooms) found the drug was at least as effective as antidepressant medication. Initial results of the study conducted by the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London found participants treated with a combination of psilocybin and psychological therapy had their depression scores reduce faster, and with greater magnitude than those treated with serotonin inhibitors, a widely prescribed class of antidepressants.
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Now, the Centre for Psychedelic Research is investigating whether similar treatment could be a feasible and effective way of treating anorexia nervosa. The eating disorder has the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric disorders, but has few effective treatments. Dr Meg Spriggs is a researcher at the Centre for Psychedelic Research and is one of the leaders of clinical trial into psilocybin as a treatment for anorexia nervosa.
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