Psilocybin therapy's effects on loss of pleasure in hard-to-treat depression

Participants (n = 30) with treatment-resistant depression experienced a statistically significant reduction in anhedonia severity after psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy.

• Anhedonia was measured using the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS).
• A significant reduction in SHAPS scores was observed at the 2-week primary endpoint (F(8, 143.48) = 3.43, p = 0.001, n = 29).
• Clinically significant improvements in anhedonia were also noted at 3-month and 6-month follow-ups.
• Exploratory analysis suggested potential mediation of changes in anhedonia through overall depression severity, as measured by the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS).
• Findings indicate that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy may offer a new approach for treating anhedonia in individuals with treatment-resistant depression.

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