Danish researchers test psilocybin therapy for anorexia

Researchers in psychiatric services in Vordingborg are launching a study to test whether psilocybin, combined with therapy, can help women with anorexia, DR reports.

The project will recruit 62 women over the age of 18 who have previously undergone treatment without success. Participants will take a capsule containing psilocybin, the active substance in psychedelic mushrooms such as liberty caps, and take part in therapy sessions before, during and after taking it.

“When someone is affected by anorexia, they typically have many rules about how to live, what they can eat and how much they should exercise,” said Oliver Hovmand, a doctor and senior researcher in psychiatric services in Region Zealand. He said researchers hope the psychedelic medicine may help patients think differently and support them in dealing with their eating disorder.

Current treatment for anorexia is psychotherapy, Hovmand said, but it does not help everyone. The study is aimed at patients whose condition has not responded to treatment.

The project was introduced on Tuesday at a training day in Vordingborg attended by eating-disorder professionals from across Denmark. Morten Pais Ruge, a doctor in specialist training in child and adolescent psychiatry, said there was a clear need to investigate the treatment because people were seeking it outside conventional healthcare.

Participants will take the capsule in a specially furnished therapy room, wearing an eye mask and headphones while music plays. The playlist, typically featuring classical music, is intended to support the psychedelic experience. Hovmand said the setting and the people present can affect the treatment.

Hovmand said he hoped the research could help improve care for a condition for which there is currently no effective treatment. He described anorexia as the most deadly psychiatric disorder, noting that it can begin early in life, last for many years and lead to physical complications requiring extensive treatment.