Prime Highlights
- A small clinical trial found that a single dose of DMT combined with psychotherapy produced rapid and sustained improvements in patients with major depressive disorder.
- Positive effects lasted three to six months, and a second dose showed no added benefit, suggesting one session may be sufficient for many patients.
Key Facts
- The study included 34 participants with moderate to severe treatment-resistant depression, comparing DMT with a placebo alongside structured psychological support.
- DMT produces a short, intense 25-minute psychedelic experience, which may make it easier for clinics to deliver than longer-acting psychedelics.
Background
A single dose of DMT combined with psychotherapy has produced rapid and lasting relief for people with major depressive disorder, according to a small clinical trial. Researchers said patients showed clear improvement soon after treatment, with positive effects continuing for three to six months.
The study included 34 participants with moderate to severe treatment-resistant depression. Half of them got an intravenous dose of DMT, and the other half got a placebo. All participants also received structured psychological support before and after their session.
Patients who received DMT showed significantly lower depression scores compared with the placebo group. In a second phase, all participants received the drug, but researchers found no added benefit from a second dose, suggesting one session may be enough for many patients.
Lead investigator David Erritzoe said the immediate and sustained response is promising, especially because the treatment requires only one drug session alongside therapy. The findings were published in Nature Medicine.
DMT is a fast-acting psychedelic that produces an intense but short experience lasting about 25 minutes. Researchers say the shorter duration could make it easier for clinics to deliver compared with longer-acting psychedelics.
Scientists believe psychedelics help patients break rigid negative thought patterns, allowing psychotherapy to work more effectively. The results support earlier research showing that psilocybin can have strong antidepressant effects.
Around 100 million people worldwide live with depression that doesn’t get better with current medicines. Psychedelic-assisted therapy could give these patients a new treatment option if regulators approve it.
Experts say more large-scale trials are needed, but the latest findings strengthen hopes that carefully supervised psychedelic treatments could become a safe and effective tool in mental health care.
