Study finds psilocybin does not produce lasting anxiety or depression relief in mice

Five Bay Area laboratories joined forces to examine whether a single dose of psilocybin could produce lasting reductions in anxiety and depression-like behavior in mice. The study measured behavioral changes over several weeks after treatment.

The results showed only limited effects. Mice did not exhibit sustained improvements in anxiety or depression metrics, indicating that the acute benefits of psilocybin may not translate into long-term outcomes in this model.

These findings highlight the difficulty of achieving durable therapeutic effects with psychedelics and suggest that additional research is needed before assuming lasting benefits in humans.