Study Shows Single Dose of DMT Can Reduce Depression Symptoms

Researchers behind a recent clinical trial at Imperial College London said that participants with depression who took a dose of dimethyltryptamine (DMT) experienced reduced symptoms compared to those who took a placebo, Medical News Today reports.

DMT is a naturally occurring substance that is fact-acting and has intense, but somewhat short, psychedelic side effects. The study, published in the February edition of Nature Medicine, found that a single treatment with DMT could relieve symptoms of depression for up to 6 months.

The researchers also noted that DMT’s short half-life of about 5 minutes could enable “shorter therapeutic sessions, potentially increasing convenience and reducing costs.”

Other psychedelics, including psilocybin (magic mushrooms) and MDMA, have been tapped for research and medicinal programs as an effective way to handle treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, and other disorders.

Meanwhile, last year, researchers discovered that DMT could protect against stroke damage in animal and cell models.

And in 2023, a small trial conducted by biotechnology company Small Pharma found that DMT could improve symptoms of depression when used in conjunction with therapy.