Increased nature relatedness and decreased authoritarian political views after psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression
In an open‑label pilot study of seven patients with treatment‑resistant depression, two psilocybin sessions (10 mg and 25 mg) increased self‑reported nature relatedness and reduced authoritarian political views at 1 week, with nature relatedness remaining elevated and authoritarianism reduced at trend level 7–12 months later. These preliminary results suggest psilocybin with psychological support may induce lasting attitude changes, but the small, non‑randomised sample prevents causal inference and requires further study.
Authors
- Robin Carhart-Harris
- Thomas Lyons
Published
Abstract
Rationale
Previous research suggests that classical psychedelic compounds can induce lasting changes in personality traits, attitudes and beliefs in both healthy subjects and patient populations.
Aim
Here we sought to investigate the effects of psilocybin on nature relatedness and libertarian–authoritarian political perspective in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD).
Methods
This open-label pilot study with a mixed-model design studied the effects of psilocybin on measures of nature relatedness and libertarian–authoritarian political perspective in patients with moderate to severe TRD ( n=7) versus age-matched non-treated healthy control subjects ( n=7). Psilocybin was administered in two oral dosing sessions (10 mg and 25 mg) 1 week apart. Main outcome measures were collected 1 week and 7–12 months after the second dosing session. Nature relatedness and libertarian–authoritarian political perspective were assessed using the Nature Relatedness Scale (NR-6) and Political Perspective Questionnaire (PPQ-5), respectively.
Results
Nature relatedness significantly increased ( t(6)=−4.242, p=0.003) and authoritarianism significantly decreased ( t(6)=2.120, p=0.039) for the patients 1 week after the dosing sessions. At 7–12 months post-dosing, nature relatedness remained significantly increased ( t(5)=−2.707, p=0.021) and authoritarianism remained decreased at trend level ( t(5)=−1.811, p=0.065). No differences were found on either measure for the non-treated healthy control subjects.
Conclusions
This pilot study suggests that psilocybin with psychological support might produce lasting changes in attitudes and beliefs. Although it would be premature to infer causality from this small study, the possibility of drug-induced changes in belief systems seems sufficiently intriguing and timely to deserve further investigation.
Research Summary of 'Increased nature relatedness and decreased authoritarian political views after psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression'
Introduction
Earlier research indicates that classical psychedelics such as LSD, psilocybin and DMT can produce enduring changes in personality, attitudes and beliefs, and some studies have linked lifetime psychedelic use with greater concern for others and the environment. Psilocybin in particular has been associated with persistent increases in openness and wellbeing in healthy volunteers, and with therapeutic effects in addiction, anxiety and depression when given with psychological support. Nature relatedness—the subjective sense of connection to the natural environment—is associated with lower anxiety and better wellbeing, and prior correlational work by the authors suggested that lifetime psychedelic use positively predicts nature relatedness and negatively predicts authoritarian political views, potentially mediated by acute experiences of ego-dissolution. This study set out to examine whether psilocybin administered with psychological support alters nature relatedness and libertarian–authoritarian political perspective in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Measures were collected at screening (baseline), 1 week and 7–12 months after dosing. An age-matched, untreated healthy control group was assessed over the same intervals to provide test–retest comparison and help address order effects. The investigation was framed as a pilot, open-label study exploring whether changes in these attitudes accompany the antidepressant effects previously reported in this cohort.
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Study Details
- Study Typeindividual
- Journal
- Compound
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- APA Citation
Lyons, T., & Carhart-Harris, R. L. (2018). Increased nature relatedness and decreased authoritarian political views after psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 32(7), 811-819. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881117748902
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