A new study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) will attempt to important link harness the antidepressant power of psilocybin mushrooms, but without the psychedelic experience. “Our findings are providing an avenue where we can begin to look at alternative options and investigate whether there are some treatments that can benefit these individuals.” One 2021 study looked at magic mushrooms’ potential for the treatment of major depressive disorder, or major depression — one of the most intense forms of depression. The study found that, in keeping with previous work, psilocybin provided promising treatment results: rapid and sustained decreases in depression scores for a small group of patients. Even before the pandemic, criticism of antidepressants – the mainstay treatment for emotional distress for some 30 years – was growing. For a considerable number of people, they do not work, or stop working over time, and they carry significant side-effects such as emotional blunting, and sexual dysfunction, and withdrawal symptoms.