Single dose of ‘magic mushrooms’ provides 5 years of depression relief, researchers find

Single dose of ‘magic mushrooms’ provides 5 years of depression relief, researchers find

New study finds 67% of depressed patients still in remission long after treatment as experts urge caution

A worker holds dried psychedelic mushrooms. The results of the new study are "certainly very encouraging," said one pharmaceutical company executive. (James MacDonald/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Patients appeared to respond much faster to psychedelics than to traditional antidepressants, the researchers stated. (James MacDonald/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Sixty-seven percent of participants reported being in remission from depression five years after treatment, and they also had less anxiety and easier daily functioning. (JASON CONNOLLY/AFP via Getty Images)

Psilocybin has been explored as a potential treatment for post-partum depression (PPD), which affects as many as one in seven new mothers. (iStock)

Other factors may have also played a role in the participants' long-term mental health benefits, noted an expert (not pictured), such as psychotherapy sessions or other antidepressants. (iStock)