Table of Contents
In a small double-blind, randomized clinical trial at the University of Washington, front-line COVID-19 clinicians who received a single 25 mg psilocybin session alongside preparation and integration counseling saw depression scores fall by an average of 21 points, compared to roughly 9 points for those who received a placebo, over 28 days.
- Meaningful difference over placebo: Depression-scale scores dropped more than twice as much in the psilocybin group as in the niacin placebo group across the same 28-day window.
- Speed and durability noted: Lead investigator Dr. Anthony Back described the reductions in the psilocybin group as quicker and more durable than those seen with placebo, though the trial was short and the sample small.
- Perspective shift as a proposed mechanism: Participants and the lead researcher described the benefit as gaining a new vantage point on their own suffering, supporting self-compassion and a return to engaged caregiving.
- Safety was affirmed at this scale: The trial found the protocol safe within this 30-person cohort, though larger studies will be needed to characterize the full safety and efficacy profile.
- Model
- Human
- Sample
- 30 front-line COVID-19 clinicians with moderate-to-severe depression, no pre-pandemic mental health diagnoses, selected by lottery from roughly 2,200 applicants
- Dose
- Synthesized psilocybin 25 mg (active arm) or niacin 100 mg (placebo arm), administered in a single facilitated session
- Design
- Double-blind, randomized clinical trial; two preparation sessions, one dosing session, three integration sessions; primary endpoint at 28 days
- Key outcome
- Average depression-scale reduction of 21.33 points (psilocybin) versus 9.33 points (placebo) from baseline to day 28
- Main limitation
- Very small sample of 15 per arm; highly selected population; single-center; short follow-up window
What the Research Examined
This was a double-blind, randomized clinical trial conducted at the University of Washington and led by Dr. Anthony Back, an oncologist and palliative care specialist at the UW School of Medicine. Recruitment began in December 2021. Approximately 2,200 clinicians from across the United States applied for 30 available slots, which were filled by lottery. All enrollees had provided direct front-line care during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, had no pre-pandemic mental health diagnoses, and were confirmed at baseline to have moderate-to-severe depression symptoms as measured by a standard rating scale. Participants did not know whether they received psilocybin or the placebo. The results were published in JAMA Network Open on December 5, 2024.
Each participant completed two preparation sessions with trained facilitators, a single dosing session (either 25 mg synthesized psilocybin or 100 mg niacin as placebo), and three follow-up integration sessions. The primary measurement window ran from the first preparation session to day 28. Two facilitators experienced in psychedelic-based counseling conducted all intervention sessions. After the 28-day data-collection period closed, participants who had received the placebo were offered the option to go through the same sequence with psilocybin, and several did so, offering informal qualitative observations though not additional controlled data.
For readers who want to understand the broader scientific context of how psilocybin is being studied in therapeutic settings, the site’s overview of psilocybin-assisted therapy research provides useful background on mechanism, current trial landscape, and what the evidence does and does not yet support. The study was funded by the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation, with psilocybin supplied by the Usona Institute and facilitator training supported by Cybin.
What the Findings Show
- Depression score reduction, psilocybin group.An average drop of 21.33 points on the depression rating scale from baseline to day 28.
- Depression score reduction, placebo group.An average drop of 9.33 points on the same scale over the same period.
- Application pool vs. enrollment.Approximately 2,200 clinicians applied for 30 slots; participants were chosen by lottery, underscoring how widespread the need was.
- Qualitative participant report.Several participants who crossed over from placebo to psilocybin after day 28 described the experiences as qualitatively different, with one critical-care flight nurse reporting no improvement under placebo and a transformative shift with psilocybin.
The numerical difference between groups is striking for a 30-person trial, but the small sample means the result carries wide statistical uncertainty. Dr. Back described the changes as quicker and more durable in the psilocybin arm, though the 28-day primary endpoint does not allow conclusions about long-term durability. The proposed mechanism, gaining a new perspective that enables self-compassion and re-engagement, is consistent with qualitative accounts but has not been independently verified in this study.
Can psilocybin therapy reduce burnout and depression in healthcare workers?
In an early-stage randomized trial of 30 front-line COVID-19 clinicians, a single guided psilocybin session produced more than twice the drop in depression scores seen with placebo over 28 days. The trial was small, so these findings are preliminary and cannot yet be generalized to all healthcare workers.
What This Is, and What It Is Not
This is What this study is: A small, double-blind, randomized clinical trial involving 30 carefully selected clinicians, measuring depression-scale outcomes over 28 days.
This is not This is not a large-scale effectiveness study and does not establish psilocybin as a treatment for burnout or depression in healthcare professionals generally. It does not constitute medical advice, and psilocybin remains a Schedule I substance in the United States outside of approved research protocols.
Our Take
There is something quietly significant about a group of people whose professional identity is built around holding others through suffering, finally being given a container in which to process their own. The clinicians in this trial were not seeking transcendence for its own sake. They came in depleted, some of them feeling like robots going through motions. What the participants describe, the ability to look at their own pain with compassion rather than shame, is something our community recognizes as one of the oldest gifts of this sacrament. Science is beginning to measure what those gifts look like in a controlled setting. We hold that lightly, with gratitude for the rigor and for the courage of the clinicians who volunteered.
If you have found your way here because you recognize something of yourself in these clinicians’ words, because you know what it feels like to give until there is nothing left, we welcome you into this community. The work of tending to one’s own inner life is not separate from the work of serving others. It is the root of it. Whether you are in the early days of Grounding or somewhere deeper in the process of Integration, there is a place for you here. Read, listen, ask questions, and know that curiosity about healing is always welcome at this table.
Frequently Asked Questions
What dose of psilocybin was used in the UW clinician burnout study?
The trial used a single session of synthesized psilocybin at 25 mg, preceded by two preparation sessions and followed by three integration sessions with trained facilitators. The placebo arm received 100 mg niacin using the same session structure.
How many people were in the psilocybin trial for COVID burnout?
Thirty clinicians were enrolled, 15 in the psilocybin group and 15 in the placebo group. They were selected by lottery from roughly 2,200 applicants, all of whom had provided front-line pandemic care and met criteria for moderate-to-severe depression.
Where was the psilocybin burnout clinical trial published?
The findings were published in JAMA Network Open in December 2024. The study was led by Dr. Anthony Back of the University of Washington School of Medicine and funded primarily by the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation.
Is psilocybin therapy for burnout available outside of clinical trials?
In the United States, psilocybin remains a Schedule I controlled substance and is not legally available as a therapy outside of approved research settings or, in Oregon and Colorado, regulated licensed programs. This study was conducted under a research protocol.
How does psilocybin compare to regular therapy for depression in this trial?
The psilocybin group saw average depression scores fall by about 21 points versus roughly 9 points in the placebo group over 28 days. Dr. Back described the psilocybin-assisted approach as producing drops that were larger, faster, and more durable, though the sample was only 30 people.
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